Day 276: Happy New Year! And Balls' Resolutions...

Every New Years Day, I start listing things I can do to better myself. Most of them consist of exercising more and eating better. It never turns out that way. Sure, the exercising seems to go well... but I love to eat and the more horribly bad for me the food is, the more I love it! So this year I'm not even wasting time trying to change my diet. Maybe I'll just shoot for smaller portions... (I couldn't even type that with a straight face!)

My exercising goal will be the usual—elliptical (or is it spelled elliptikill?) at least five days a week, 30 minute per day. Maybe I'll crank up the tension knob a turn or two and add in the moving handles. Although when my arms are moving, it makes controlling the DVR a little more challenging. I might have to rethink that one. It's no secret that the key for me to actually staying on that ghastly contraption for the full 30 minutes is good television shows. This could be the reason why I fail at it so terribly between Thanksgiving and Christmas. That and the fact that it seriously cuts into my eating time.

Starting today, I'm also planning to take part in a 30 Day Plank Challenge... and no, I'm not talking about lumber. The Challenge is supposed to take me from a short, 20 second plank on day one to a five minute plank on day 30. I can honestly say I've never attempted a plank in my entire life so really, how hard could it be? If you've never done a plank, the answer is: very hard. Planks are pure evil. But I'm really hoping this will help my rapidly aging lower back.

The challenge starts with a 20 second plank on day one that I completed a couple of hours before writing this post. Doesn't sound very lengthy, right? Holy shit! That was by far the longest 20 seconds of my entire life. My abs are currently planning a revolt. WTF? I'm really not sure how I'm going to increase that to 30 seconds which is just two days from now, let alone make it five full freaking minutes. I'm doomed!

I'm also declaring this summer the Summer of Golf! I definitely need to play more golf (and get better golf outfits!). The end. I really don't think I'm ever going to get better if I can't play regularly. Maybe I'll even take a few lessons in the spring to get going on the right foot. There's nothing worse that stepping up to that first tee and wonder what the hell you did the last time you hit a pretty drive...six months ago. I don't remember what I did six hours ago!

I have high hopes for 2014... Here's wishing you all a happy, healthy and hopeful year too!

Day 275: 2013 Boston Sports Stories Thrilled and Chilled

What a year, what a year! For us Boston sports fans, 2013 both thrilled us and chilled us. There were things that happened that we'd like to forget... and things we want to hold onto as long as we can. There were things that happened that made us cry, laugh, cheer and cringe. 2013 ran the gamut of emotions—from the darkest of days with the Boston Marathon bombing to the highest of highs with the World Series Championship. 

The year began on a somewhat low note with the New England Patriots losing to those annoying Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game. A low point for sure since there's nothing worse than having to watch that douche bag murderer, Ray Lewis, celebrate. 

The year only got lower when tragedy struck at the Boston Marathon finish line where three were killed and countless others horribly maimed. And then things got even lower as the terrorists responsible for such a grisly act shut down the city of Boston while law enforcement searched for them and subsequently killed one and caught the other surviving monster. I don't remember ever seeing photos are eery as those of empty Boston streets.

And then some more bad news. After the Patriots sadly let Wes Welker go to the Broncos, tight end and key member of the offense, Aaron Hernandez was arrested for murder. Well... shit. DUI is one thing...assault is little more serious...but murder is a whole different ball game. The Patriots promptly released him and he still sits in prison awaiting his trial, most likely in late 2014. I know there's that whole innocent until proven guilty crap, but I'm going out on a limb and saying Hernandez won't know life outside the prison walls for a long, long time...if ever.

Boston was in need of some good news... 

The Boston Bruins were inspiring in 2013. From the thrilling seven game series with the Toronto Maple Leafs that the Bruins won in overtime...to the four-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins, many thought they were a team of destiny. But unfortunately, the Chicago Blackhawks had other ideas. Not even the valiant play of Gregory Campbell and Patrice Bergeron, both skating injured, could boost the Bruins to their second Cup in three years. But man...it was a fun ride to watch!

And while the Bruins were skating their asses off, the Boston Red Sox were quietly putting together a respectable season of their own. Not much was expected from a team that had such a disgraceful previous year and then didn't really make any huge off-season moves. They signed a couple of "good clubhouse guys" to short contracts and hoped for the best. And BEST was what they got! That group of bearded men surprised us all with gutsy performances and some clutch hitting to with the World freaking Series! There was a time when I wasn't sure I would ever see my beloved Sox as Champions and now it has happened three times. Yay!

What would the World Series win be without the Duck Boat parade. The season came full circle with the team pausing at the Boston Marathon finish line for a quick moment to remember those who were affected by the bombing with the World Series trophy, the 617 Red Sox jersey and of course, an emotional rendition of God Bless America. A perfect ending to an amazing season that was so deeply impacted by the tragedy back in April.

So long, 2013... and here's hoping that 2014 is filled with more thrills than chills! Happy New Year!!

PS: I now enter the final quarter of my Balls of All Sizes quest—just 90 days left!

Day 274: Tim Tebow Finally Lands a Job

When the New England Patriots signed Tim Tebow this past June, I almost crapped my pants. This is a guy that I had made fun of and despised since I saw him cry after Florida lost to Alabama in the SEC Championship game back in 2009. Dude... crying? There's no crying in football! I'm pretty sure Bill Belichick isn't a fan of cry babies so I was really surprised he was getting a chance with the Pats.

Luckily, Bill Belichick came to his senses and cut Tebow at the end of August, just before the start of the season. It made sense, there really wasn't a place for him—even after months of speculation about whether or not the Patriots could mold Tebow into a slot receiver or tight end. I'm sure many thought another team would snap him up in a heartbeat, but that never happened. The 2013 NFL season started and Tim Tebow was team-less.

And then a couple months went by and Tebow still had not landed back in the NFL. Could this be the end of a very short and very unimpressive career for the 26-year-old former Florida Gator? It's hard to imagine that a college quarterback who passed for over 9,000 yards and rushed for nearly 3,000 yards in his four years in Gainesville was sitting idle while the football season moved forward.

But finally, there's some good news for all the Tim Tebow fans out there. (Are there still Tebow fans out there?) The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner has been hired by the SEC Network (an ESPN-owned channel) as an analyst for its Saturday morning "SEC Nation" show that debuts in August. He'll be making his first ESPN appearance on January 6th before the BCS Championship Game—SportCenter in the morning, College Football Live in the afternoon and College GameDay before the Auburn vs. Florida State game.

I've never been more thankful in my life for not giving a shit about college football...because I'm not sure I could stomach him as an analyst!

Day 273: NFL Week 17... Depressed.

The end of the regular NFL season always depresses me. Sure... the Patriots will have at least one more game in the postseason, but if they screw that up, it's over. Those 17 weeks of football seem to fly by faster than any other sports season out there. Those precious 17 weeks...

Most years (present season included) week 17 can be a crazy collection of if/then scenarios for lots of teams on the postseason bubble. If this team wins and this team loses than this other team will make the playoffs but only if they win too. Or, like with the Pats, the outcome of their final week could mean either a first-round bye or a fourth seed. Thankfully, the Patriots beat the Bills 34-20 on Sunday to take the #2 seed in the AFC and earn that first-round bye.

Normally a Patriots game during the final week is pretty boring. They've usually wrapped up their spot in the playoffs and it's not even worth watching. But today... today was fun. The weather was horrific—torrential rain, puddles on the field, slippery pigskin. You couldn't have paid me enough money to sit in those stands in that weather. I was quite comfy wrapped in my blanket on the couch!

LeGarrette Blount made that last game even more fun by putting on quite a show. He rushed 24 times for an astounding (and career high) 189 yards and two touchdowns. His longest rush of the day was 36 yards. And if that wasn't impressive enough, the 250 pound running back added another 145 yards on kickoff returns. His 334 all-purpose yards set a new franchise record—and put him 12th in NFL history. Bill Belichick even said he was "the best player on the field."

Tom Brady's day was just ok—14-for-24 for 122 yards, one touchdown and a bullshit interception that wasn't his fault. But with the weather like it was, who can blame him for relying on the running game to get the job done. Good thing that running game didn't let him down! And Stephen Gostowski, who is having quite a season himself, made four field goals to add to the scoring.

So now it's on to the playoffs. With all the injuries the Patriots have had to endure this season, I don't have high hopes for much success in January. But that's how I like to handle it... if I get too cocky about the Pats' chances in the postseason (*cough*2008*cough*), I think it's bad luck. If I'm more of a glass-half-empty fan, things tend to work out a little better. Let's see if this theory holds true this time around.

Good Luck, Patriots! Kick some ass...

Day 272: Shaun White's Amazing New Trick!

Ok... call me obsessed but I'm afraid it's going to be this way from now until the Olympics are over. There will most likely be lots and lots of posts about Sochi. Especially because I love it when athletes decide to use the worldwide stage of the Winter Games to launch a new trick.

Snowboarding is one of my favorite events to watch—probably because I've tried it, completely sucked at it and am jealous of those who do it well. But since I've turned into a giant sissy in my old age, it's best that I leave the speed and craziness to those brave youngsters. I'm always in awe of the advancements made in the sport and how the half-pipe just seems to get bigger and bigger, therefore making the air they get that much more gigantic.

As if Shaun White didn't dominate the world of half-pipes to begin with, he's going to be rolling out a new (and somewhat crazy) trick at the Sochi games. In the 2010 Vancouver Games, White blew minds everywhere with the "Double McTwist 1260"—and Sochi could prove to be even more insane. He plans to take his original trick even further with the "frontside double-cork 1440." I'm not sure what that means, but it sounds and looks pretty freaking awesome.

GoPro built a custom half-pipe for Shaun White to practice on and he revealed the trick on YouTube this past week. If this doesn't blow your mind, I don't know what will...

 

What.... WHAAAAAT?? Watch out Sochi!!

Day 271: 10 Things to Know about Curling

There are 42 days until the Winter Olympics in Sochi. I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty freaking excited about the games. For two weeks in February, I'll become more of a couch potato than normal and I will be obsessed with just about everything Olympics. Even the curling.

If you've never given curling a chance, I highly recommend it. I really have no idea what the point is or how a team wins, but there's just something about the big stones and big brooms and the special shoes and the sweeping that sucks me in every time. Fortunately for us, Yahoo! has put together a list of the 10 things you should know about curling. Now we'll know about the big stones and the brooms!!

1. Curling originated in Scotland in the 15th century and was played on frozen lakes. It debuted as a demonstration sport at the first Winter Olympics held in 1924 in Chamonix, France. After a 50 year absence, it was included in the 1988 and 1992 games again as a demonstration. 

2. Curling wasn't named an official Olympic sport until the 1998 games in Nagano, Japan. The US has only earned one medal—a bronze in 2006. 

3. Like just about every other sport, the events are separate for men and women. 

4. The curling surface is 150 feet long and 16.4 feet wide. There is a bullseye target known as the "house" at each end. 

5. Special shoes are worn with one slippery sole for the slider foot and one gripper sole to provide traction on the ice. 

6. Curling stones are 44 pounds and granite with a handle on top.  

7. The sweeping... the thing that is most confusing for me. The two sweepers use the brooms to sweep in front of the stone and create a layer of water allowing the stone to hydroplane across the ice. Sweeping can control the curl of the stone and direct it into position. 

8. Each game has 10 "ends." An end involves a four-player team playing eight stones, two per player. 

9. Only one team can score in each house per end. A point is scored for each stone with any portion inside the "house" that is closer to the center bullseye than the opponent's stones. And you can knock the enemy stones out of the way!

10. Curling will run from February 10 - 21 at the Ice Cube Curling Center during the upcoming Sochi Olympics.

Now do you want to watch? Curling just got a whole lot more interesting for me... I can't wait to cheer on the sweepers!

Day 270: A First-Hand Look at Winning the World Series

Not many of us will ever have that first hand feeling of winning something as big as the World Series. But in this day and age of social media and video cameras on phones, we can get the next best thing to that first hand feeling—we can get a look at what those who were there experienced. And even better, how the athletes themselves saw it.

When the Red Sox won the World Series, Shane Victorino had his GoPro video camera ready to capture every piece of it. From that last strike to clinch the Championship... to the celebration in the locker room (does anyone else wonder how much all that booze on the floor was worth?)... back onto the field and then on to the Duck Boat Parade sharing that special win with the city of Boston.

It's fun to get a glimpse into the happiness of a Championship celebration that meant so much to so many. Thanks, Shane for allowing us that peek.