The rivalry might not be quite what it once was, but it's still nice to put a beat down on the Lakers as the C's did Monday night.
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The Chiefs Are In The Super Bowl. And I Am So Jealous of My Brother In Law (Chiefs fan)
By Jeff Solari
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I hate to admit this, but I’m jealous. I’m not proud of this fact. But I am darn jealous of my brother in law.
Not because he lives in Nebraska. Duh. Or drives a mini van. But because he is a Chiefs fan. And his team is in the Super Bowl.
I know this is sort of counter intuitive since I am a Patriots fan and we have appeared in basically half the Super Bowls these past two decades. But….
I'm jealous because this is the first time in his lifetime that his team is playing in the biggest game in the country. My brother in law, let's call him Mike, which is his name, is somewhere in his forties. He was born and raised in Independence, Missouri, right near the Kansas City border and only maybe 25 minutes from the part of the city where the Chiefs and Royals call home.
It has been wicked nice to have the sports upper hand on him. But I am envious of him and the way he feels right now. Because there's nothing like the first time.
Remember what it was like in this neck of the woods before our teams became so damn good? It was a thrill and a cause to miss work to see the Sox on TV in any kind of playoff game.
Can you recall the the hype and excitement in New England as everyone was buzzing about the amazing Pats Wild Card run and their first SB appearance in 86? I even remember a song on Kiss 94.5 that was a parody of the "Leader of the Pack" song about Raymond Berry called "Leader of the Pats."
In 1997 I rushed out and bought a new TV and hosted a Super Bowl blowout at my tiny apartment for Pats and Packers.
And in 2002 I jumped on a plane to New Orleans and literally partied on Bourbon Street as the Pats pulled off the massive upset over the Rams.
It was so freaking amazing back then to have one of our teams win anything. The anxiety during the games would cause me to pace and sweat. The thrill of victory wiped out the agony of our various defeats.
Now it is pretty routine and that makes me a little jealous. “Mike” is about to bask in an amazing two weeks of hype and hyperbole. Remember when that was new to us up here in the Northeast? I do. And I kind of miss it.
Well at least I don't drive a mini van.
-SOLARI
jeff@sportschowdah.com
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Not High on Tek As
The Next Sox Manager
By Jeff Solari
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You won’t find many Red Sox fans walking this planet that don’t love Jason Varitek. He’s deservedly one of the most popular Sox players in history.
Without Tek theres no 2004 title. No mitt in A-Rods pompous face. No comeback. And really you have to love a catcher that jumps into the pitchers arms after the last out of the series, as Jason did in 04. Keith Foulke’s back has never been the same.
Varitek wore the C when the Sox won again in 2007. He is one of only two others to call four no hitters. Just about every pitcher showers him with praise including Curt Schilling when he was here in Bangor at our Cookout with Curt last year.
Tek may have retired after the 2011 season, but his name was on everyones mind Saturday at the Red Sox Winter Fan Meetings. While the Sox top brass was on stage answering fan questions, the crowd began chanting for Tek to be the man to replace Alex “The Cheater” Cora.
Social media is full of fans clamoring for the same thing.
I get it. But you all are just proving that you are Sox Fans, which is code for Sox Fanatic. Because he should not and will not be the next manager. He’s just not ready.
He’s a special assistant to the Sox now. That’s one of those gigs that probably means Jason doesn’t even know what his exact responsibilities are. He has not coached or managed at any level.
I will concede that Cora got the managerial job with no real experience and won a World Series. But look at what we got in year two with that sign stealing bandit. The team never contended and now he’s facing a long suspension.
As one of the premier franchises in baseball, John Henry and the boys should be able to find a guy that’s a great fit and comes with some valuable experience already on his resume.
It is true that winning with Boston is not as hard as other winning in some other places. Big payroll. Great fan support. Amazing front office analytics and scouting. But of course theres immense pressure to perform with little media and fan forgiveness.
Jason Varitek knows the game and is young, energetic and honest. They should make him the new bench coach. He’ll bring some integrity back to the tainted franchise and that position would help him gain some real life dugout experience. In three years he’ll be ready. But not this year.
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Oh Captain, My Captain.
Tek Should Be The Next Sox Manager
By Sterling Pingree
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January 13, 2020. 3:14pm. The Astros announce that they are firing their general manager and their regular manager. I posted on Facebook:
“
The Red Sox are going to fire Alex Cora. Who do YOU replace him with? Varitek?”
Then, to my surprise, there hasn’t been a conversation about who the next Red Sox manager would be without the beloved catcher being involved. It has gone so far that Las Vegas has him listed as the favorite. I have started this movement and I couldn’t be more proud.
Jason Varitek should be the next manager of the Boston Red Sox. I do not, give one, single, solitary, damn that he hasn’t managed before. You know who else has never managed before they became a big league manager?
Dave Roberts-
Dodgers (won two out of the last 3 NL Pennants)
Aaron Boone
- Yankees (back to back playoff runs, ALCS last season)
Dave Martinez
- Nationals (won World Series in second season)
That’s just the tip of the ice berg, the hottest managerial candidate this year? David Ross. Guess what he’s never done before. Managed. The Chicago Cubs are willing to take a chance on him and pundits are pretty unanimous that he’s going to be great.
Kevin Cash
made the Rays a winner, zero experience.
Craig Counsell
took the Brewers the brink of the pennant two years ago.
Rocco Baldelli
made the Twins a wagon in 2019, his first season in Minnesota.
You can’t say that a manager has to have experience to get the job. Do you want to hire Dusty Baker? Is that something you’re interested in? I think you have a better chance with a managerial candidate you think can do a good job than someone who has failed other places and you convince yourself that they were just the wrong situation for them.
It’s like asking the girl out, who is sort of a nightmare and has an awful relationship history, but you decide that they were all the other person’s fault and it’ll work with you. Guess what? It won’t work and she will ruin your life.
Think of it this way, the last time the Red Sox hired a manager who had lots of experience and could help get the club on the right track, they hired Bobby Valentine. So would you rather go with a mediocre pick to save face or take a chance on someone who:
- The fans will love
- The players will immediately respect
- Has a better than average chance to be really good
Varitek is a baseball guy. How many times was he called a manager on the field when he played? Varitek retired almost 10 years ago. Is that not long enough? If not now, when?
Plus, catchers make great managers.
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SHOULD JASON VARITEK BE THE NEXT RED SOX MANAGER
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Last Week We Asked:
SHOULD SPORTS BETTING BE LEGAL IN MAINE?
YES: 78.6%
NO: 21.4%
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Hollywood Ending for Alex Cora:
Vanquished Villain
By Jeff Solari
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I really enjoy the
Ocean’s 11
movies. Danny Ocean, played by George Clooney, orchestrates elaborate schemes to pull off daring and lucrative heists. There are heart stopping twists and turns, but in the original and every sequel after, Danny and his team of talented cohorts always walk away with a lucrative bounty.
It appears that there will be no Hollywood ending for former Red Sox Manager Alex Cora. He did his best Danny Ocean impression as he concocted elaborate plans to steal signs for not one but two MLB teams. He was pretty darn clever.
But in a plot twist it all came crashing down on him. Cora has been dismissed from his job and is about to receive a beating from Major League Baseball that would make Michael Corleone blush.
There will be those that defend the shameful actions of Cora. A few might even admire the caginess of this baseball bandit. After all no one before Danny Ocean ever thought to borrow a massive underground drill from Europe, dig a tunnel under a Vegas hotel simulating an earthquake, paving the way to steal millions of dollars.
It appears Cora might be the first mastermind to have a staff member beat a bat on a garbage can in the dugout to tip pitches to Houston hitters. Next Cora made a Hollywood quality sequel when he moved east and became Jack Sparrow, sign stealing video pirate.
Sometimes the criminal gets away with the money and the beautiful woman, like Pierce Brosnan in the
Thomas Crown Affair.
But sometimes they press their luck with the warden just a bit too far and well, “What we have here is failure to communicate.”
To be sure, Rob Manfred did communicate clearly that he would be punishing cheaters swiftly and severely. But Cool Hand Cora, just like Paul Newman, went a step too far. And the end was not pretty.
He is just a little more than a year removed from managing the greatest team in Sox history to 108 regular season wins and a World Series title. Now Cora is on the same boat as his former Houston coworkers, sailing straight to Alcatraz where escape is improbable.
Cora will wear the lifelong brand of a lawless cheater. He’s a former super hero who tuned disgraceful villain overnight. He embarrassed a franchise, a city and a region. For us fans the 2018 World Series Trophy is a bit tarnished.
He did the crime. Now he’ll do the time in his own
Shawshank Redemption.
(Ok, I know Tim Robbins character was innocent and Cora is not. But you get what I’m saying.)
Cora doesn’t deserve a walk on The Green Mile, or the fate of just about every Bond villain. But for now I’ll be happy if he takes his bat, garbage can, and video equipment and disappears into the distance as the credits roll.
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Travel Schedule
Presented by Bangor International Airport
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The University of Maine Women's basketball team travels to Vermont Wednesday for a showdown with
the Catamounts.
Friday and Saturday the Men's Hockey team travels to BC
to take on the Eagles.
Wherever your travels take you, fly BGR.
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Now This Is Pretty Funny, Unless You're A Packers Fan
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Now Is The Time For Maine Hockey To Start Winning Hockey East Games
By Ryan McLaughlin
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A rare midweek game started well for the University of Maine hockey team on Wednesday.
The Black Bears raced out to a 2-0 lead against Connecticut, leading Maine fans to believe that the Bears were going to take care of business against a team they should beat.
But in a microcosm of the Red Gendron era, the Huskies scored the final three goals en route to a 3-2 victory in Bridgeport.
Maine fans have seen this movie way too many times since 2013. It's one that has featured far too many sequels.
If the regular season ended today, the Black Bears would not be in the Hockey East playoffs.
Maine is a dismal 4-7-2 in league play, and it doesn't get any easier next weekend as the Black Bears visit Boston College for a pair.
The Eagles entered the weekend second in Hockey East, and
UMaine is winless
against the top five teams in the league - UMass, BC, Providence, UMass Lowell and Northeastern - this year.
With the inconsistency Maine has showed offensively, can the Bears go into any of those buildings in March and steal two games, should they manage to finish among the top eight teams?
Suffice to say, star goaltender Jeremy Swayman has to feel a little bit like Tom Brady did this year, in the context that he has limited offensive weapons to bail him out.
After the B.C. series, Maine's schedule softens up a bit with home series against Merrimack, UConn and Vermont, the latter of which is winless in Hockey East play. Fans in Burlington have to wonder how Kevin Sneddon keeps his job every year.
That Alfond-heavy stretch includes a single home date with Northeastern. UMaine needs to find a way to get at least 12 out of those 14 points, with a tough home-and-home against Providence to end the regular season.
If Maine finishes outside the top eight, the target on Gendron's back will only get larger, the championship-hungry fan base will only get more restless, and athletic administrator Ken Ralph may have to make a tough decision.
Blowing a 2-0 lead to a mediocre UConn team was not a good way to start the stretch run. Stealing a game on Commonwealth Avenue may be a good tone-setter.
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Mahomes Passes Brady
For Most NFL Jersey Sales
Jerry Thornton- Barstool Sports
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If the numbers hold up, a new merchandise king could be crowned in the National Football League.
According to the latest NFL Players Association Top 50 Players Sales List, Tom Brady is on the verge of being dethroned by Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes who has moved into first place.
Final numbers will not be tallied until the end of February, with the last quarter of data calculated and official figures available in April. At that point, Mahomes could officially be named the league’s new retail king.
If the Chiefs win Super Bowl LIV, Scebelo said Mahomes’ spot as the new No. 1 merchandise player in the NFL should be cemented, though some factors like Brady’s decision on his future could play a role. If the Patriots quarterback decides to retire, that could trigger a spike in sales.
“The one thing I think everybody who watches football has learned,” says Scebelo, “never underestimate Tom Brady.”
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Lots of opinions from our bloggers again this week. As always they are just that, their opinions, and not necessarily shared by Jeff Solari and The Sports Chowdah, or our sponsors. We also from time to time share articles from other publications and websites. Obviously sharing links is very common today but we also like to share great content in its entirety. The authors' opinions and content belong to them, not the Sports Chowdah or Rock Lobster Media LLC.
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Who Is This Jeff Solari Guy Anyway?
Jeff Solari is the President and owner of Rock Lobster Media and The Sports Chowdah. Jeff is also a former co-host of the regions most listened to afternoon sports talk show, The Drive on 92.9FM The Ticket in Bangor.
He has been in sports media since he was 17. He is not shy with his opinions or unique perspective on the world of sports.
Jeff is a graduate of Mount Desert Island High School and the University of Southern Maine.
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THE SPORTS CHOWDAH IS A PROPERTY OF ROCK LOBSTER MEDIA LLC
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Jeff Solari | Sports Chowdah | (207) 735-7323 | jeff@sportschowdah.com
| www.jeffsolari.com
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