It has been too long...

And I don't have much to say because I am in the middle of finals. Instead I will post this awesome t-shirt that I found:

No Way, No How, No Timlin

I know the Sox ran out of relievers, but how can you use this guy at any point, in any close game at all???? I would rather have them lose by having Lopez through another inning...cause at least you can defend that. But this cannot be defending at all. No more Timlin unless they are up by at least 10. Seriously. No Way, No How, No Timlin.

Love this Guy

Not sure if most Red Sox fans will be angry about this but...





Amazing! I think it is best to remember that no one, and I mean NO ONE, was more negative about Pedroia at the beginning of last year than Remy. He was constantly talking about how bad Ped's swing was and nightly calling for Alex Cora to be the full time starter. Athletes have long memories and Ped's obviously does not forget.

Awful Announcing

The summer of ThomCarter: A Review

I am not sure if everyone is aware but my brother dubbed this the Summer of ThomCarter. Why? Because he turned 30, because he went to a lot of baseball games and because, well, he is Thom! So, seeing that today was the first day of classes for me, I will give a review of my summer...Sam's Summer of ThomCarter.

1)After finishing my first year of graduate school at UNC, Amy, Grace and I made our way up to NJ for the summer. We did this so that I could work as an administrative intern at the Hunterdon Health Care System...and so that Grace and Amy could swim all day.

2)On May 12th my internship began and I worked and worked and worked!!

3)A few weeks later Amy, Grace and I went to one of my dads many retirement parties. It was fantastic to see all that he had accomplished in his career through the eyes of his employees.

4)Ron, Rachael and Cadence came down to NJ from Boston to visit for Memorial Day. It was great to see Grace and Cadence play together...they have both grown so much.

5)In June the rest of my family came to visit in the good ol' NJ. First Laura, Sean, Emma and Carter arrived...just in time for my dad to have kidney stones...and Laura and Sean went on a much deserved vacation after 2 gruelings years of business school. Then a very pregnant Kim and her daughter; Brittin, Ginny and Annika, came to! Unfortunately, work made it so Jeff could not come...it is never the same without him there. Laura and Sean came back, so we had just one big party the whole time! After 10 days Kim and her girls left and Laura and Sean never did!!

6)During the summer I went to 5 Major League Baseball Games. 2 in Shea Stadium...Mets v Dodgers and Mets v yankees...1 at Yankee Stadium...The Sox beat up on the yankees...on at Citizens Bank Park in Philly...the Phills had their way with the Sox...and one at FENWAY, where the Sox HUMILIATED the A's. The last one was for my birthday and it was fantastic game to be at the Fens. Oh, and guess how much those tickets cost us??? If you answered $0 you are correct! Thanks Thom!!

7)When we went up to Boston for the Sox game we spent time with Ron, Rachael and Cadence. It was great because we go to the zoo...which was perfect for Grace. We also learned that they would be moving back to Utah, because Ron got accepted to BYU's school of Law. We are sad to see them leave the east, but excited for them (even if won't be getting a good education at the y...I kid, I kid.)

8)In July we went to Angela and Aaron's wedding in Ashville, NC. It was a fantastic day. Angela is one of my classmates who was baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was amazing for us to see how happy they both are and how much joy the Gospel has brought her.

9)We got to be there to see my dad transition into retirement. Which pretty much meant watching him throw away everything. He worked so hard and did so much good for so long, he deserves this time to spend with his family.

10)Grace grew and grew and grew! She no longer walks...she only RUNS! She talks all day long...seriously there are no breaks. She tells everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, that we are on walk and that she just had some juice and that she would like a snack. "Mine" or "My" are her new words of choice. "My Car", "My House", "My TREAT", "My MOMMY!!!!"...pretty much everything is hers. She loves to sing and dance...especially to The Wiggles. She loves to play all day. She mostly loves to give Hugs and pray and read the scriptures. She is a fantastic example!

11)Amy certified to be an Aerobics instructor!! WOOHOO! She put a lot of work into this and she loves this kind of stuff (unlike me...I like to eat and sleep and watch baseball). I am excited for her.

12)I completed my internship. It was fantastic. I cannot say enough about all that I learned, all that I accomplished and the confidence I gained from this experience. Today I described myself to first year MHA as, "A Hospital Administration Nerd...I love the work so much." This was just a reminder for me of the great work that I am going to be involved in.

13)And to end it all, on the last day of Sam's Summer of ThomCarter, my sister Kim had her 4 little girl! Kassandra London Roth. They are doing great and I could not be happier for them.

All in all it was the perfect summer. Good people, good food, good baseball and good people! Yup, lots of good people. It was just a great reminder of how much our Savior loves us and hears and answers our prayers. This summer was what we needed as a family and our Savior knew that. I am so grateful for Him and grateful for the blessings of Eternal Families.

Let the Sam's Fall of ThomCarter begin!

A List:

Of Current Red Sox who should not be on ANY Major League Roster:



Coco Crisp
Manny Delcarmen (Above blowing another game...get it?? He is blowing out air! HAHA!)
Julio Lugo
Manny Delcarmen
Coco Crisp
Manny DelMannybeingManny
And anyone else named Manny

The End

Happy Anniversary!

Four Years! Amy and I have been married for 4 years!! What a fantastic four years it has been too! I love you so much!!

How True This is....

How the Manny Trade Went Down

Before I give you all my insider information about what took place today when the Red Sox traded Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers, I want everyone to know that I feel good about this trade. It was time for Manny to go. His act was tired, but I will miss Manny. Good luck in your future endevors!
Ok, now to my insider info. This is the actually transcript from his this trade actually happened:

Ned Colletti:"Theo, Hey! This is your buddy Ned! Have I got a deal for you!"

Theo looks confused and goes to hang up the phone.

Ned:"Wait...wait! I am real GM, don't hang up!"

Theo: "Hold on, I got 10 teams on the other line. I am going to have the first 10 team trade"

Ned waits and sings Broadway shows tunes and a little Cher.

Theo: "Crazy. The deal fell through. What ya got for me?"

Ned: (giddy) "I already talked to Pittsburgh, they are willing to send us there top prospects, as long as you send them some top prospects too."

Theo: "Good. Good. At least there are 3 teams involved. Any of these teams from Japan?"

Ned: "Where's Japan? That in Canada? Canada's south of Hawaii, right? I love the country of Hawaii. Beautiful snow fall. What...where am I? Anyway...so then you send us Manny and $7 million. And after you have unloaded all that you get Jason Bay!! What a steal!"

Theo: "Let me consult with Billy Beane...I mean my computer."
He presses some buttons on a keyboard and out comes printout that says, "What Would Paul Depodesta do?"

And he knew what to do at that very second!

Theo: "DEAL!...it is great doing business with you!"

Theo hangs up, lets out an evil laugh and says, "Larry! You can come out of your cage now. Get me my Gorilla suit! we need to hold a press conference to announce the most important trade since Babe Ruth was traded for an off Broadway musical."

Yankees GM Brian Cashman smiles to himself about this crazy trade deadline.

Brain Cashman: "I cannot believe that Ned just called me and offered me Jason Bay for top prospects, $25 Million and AROD. Who would ever make a deal like that?"

For my 100th Post...

I thought that everyone could use a laugh...



Thanks to Mangum to pointing me out to these guys on youtube! We all need a good laugh!! (Especially Sean and James...Red Sox fans need to laugh right now :( )

I Promised...

Not to complain about the Red Sox and I am not going to. I am just going to say that I am glad that they have decided to collapse earlier this year than they did in 2006.

Wow

So, I didn't go to bed. I stayed up for all 15 innings. Pretty stupid seeing that I have to be at work soon, but still worth it. Worth it cause the AL won, but even more worth it cause a Red Sox won the MVP! Congrats to JD Drew, and congrats to all Red Sox fans who can now add this to their list of favorite yankee stadium moments. Fantastic.

On a side note, congrats to Spencer Mangum for picking up the ever important +1 for getting The Wedding Singer reference in recent post. +1 can get you a lot things these days...like one whole Schrute Buck!

I am so glad...

That I decided not to live blog the all star game. This is long and I have to go to work early. Good night baseball.

I hate Yankee Fans

Tonight is the night...

When Wade Boggs officially died in my eyes. I have never been that angry about him playing for the yankees and even watching him ride around the horse after they won. But tonight, oh tonight, when all the Hall of Famers were on the field to start to the All-Star Game he crossed the line. All the former players were wearing the hats they went into the Hall of Fame with: for instance Dave Winfield wore the Padres Hat, not the Yankees hat. But Wade Boggs wore his ugly, nasty yankee cap. He is in the Hall of Fame as a Red Sox. I hope that the Sox never, ever invite him back to Fenway. Boggs, you are officially dead to me and forever a Devil Ray.

Some Great Acting...

To take everyone into All-Star Break!

Pinch Sitter

It was nice to see Manny watch the ball go past him 3 times in a row last night. Just what Francona ordered. Here's your new Red Sox pinch sitter!

Happy 4th!

Yesterday, Thom, Amy and I spent the 4th of July the best way you possibly could. Watching the Red Sox beat the Yankees at yankee stadium. First of all, our seats were fantastic. Thom called in a favor and we sat on the first base side, 3 rows up. Amazing. It started off the slow for the Sox, but as the game when on things started to look up. After Johnny Damon forgot to close his glove to catch the ball (of course he did slam into the fence), the Sox tied the game at 3. Then good ol' Mike Lowell hit a huge 3 run homer and that put them up for good. A beautiful 6-4 victory that helped up to us to celebrate our countries birthday.
Some observations/favorite moments from the game:
1) Johnny Damon cannot read. Atleast not well. Before the game they have taped segments with players of the yankees telling the fans to enjoy the game, not go onto the field and also where they are. (because most yankee fans have no idea where they are at anytime) It was Damon's job to let the fans know they were at yankee stadium. I wish everyone could have seen this, but OH...MY...GOSH! Wow...this could not be a bigger loser.

2)Early in the game and 7 year old boy jumped onto the field to pick up a foul ball. I am serious. Right in front of us, he just jumped onto the field. And he got the ball! And then the security came and took he and his father away because it is kind of against the rules. They did not end up ejecting him,even though derek jeter told the fans over and over again that it was against the rules. How can you not listen to jeter? I mean that guy walks on water, turns water into wine and other blasphemous things. But, it was awesome. That is not something you see everyday.

3) Yankee fans are not smart. And the more they drink, the less intelligent they become. I have a good amount of friends that are great people and very smart. But, for the most part, they make Johnny Damon look like Bill and Ted. (cause you can't make damon look like Socrates or Abraham Lincoln) They continue to wear shirts that they "See you 86 Years" and "Got Rings?" and "Got Melkey?" and "Bahston Suck" and "Why did I fail my GED test?" (the last one is not true, but they should) All I wanted to say to all of them was, "Drink more and drive home." (if you get that reference give yourself a +1)

4)The officials of security for the stadium of the yankees are morons. Seriously. They yelled at people for moving over 1 seat. There was much foul language going on around us, another thing that jeter mc'perfect told us not to do, lots of Red Sox Suck chants and other uncreative things, but when a Yankee Sucks chant started in the 9th (something I did not join, because it is lame) and the security STOPPED the chant! Apparently cap'n derek "never makes a mistake and is the greatest human being to ever live" jeter was only talking about Red Sox fans being vulgar. I love this game!

Anyway, go Sox!

17! 17! 17!

My favorite sports team is obviously the Red Sox, but my first sports love was the Boston Celtics. We moved to New Hampshire in '86, the year of the greatest Celtics team that I have ever seen. Larry Legend, McHale, Parish, DJ and Ainge. When the Celtics traded for Ray Allen and KG, I just wanted 50 wins and a playoff series win. But, it rejuvenated me when it came to NBA. I watch more games this years, then in years past. And tonight, on June 17th 2008, the Boston Celtics, my first sports love, have clinched their 17th Championship. There was nothing like the Sox in '04, but this win brings me back to my earliest childhood sports memories. Celtics Championship...I LIVE FOR THIS!!

Worst Fans

I have been thinking a lot about fandom in sports. What makes a good fan? What is the worst type of fans? I do not think the worst kind of fans are front runners or bandwagon fans. I think they are the fans that have this stupid sense of entitlement. They feel that their team has to win EVERY year and if they do not win EVERY year then the season was a failure. They are whiny and pathetic, and people cannot stand to be around them. (disclaimer...I am very aware the teams that I root for, the Pats, Sox and Celtics, have many fans that are this way. For most of them it is a new thing and obnoxious. But I promise that I will never be this way...end disclaimer) The amazing thing about these fans is that they are fans of the teams that I hate most: The Lakers, BYU and the Yankees. Some of these "fans" fly hundreds of miles just to watch their team lose in a playoff game. These "fans" find every reason to believe that their team did not lose. The worst part about them is that because they are the loudest "fans" of the teams they "root" for, the teams' entire fan base gets stereotyped as being like them. One of my good friends from UNC is a HUGE Lakers fan and I got a great email from him after game 2. I was expecting him to make wise cracks about poor officiating and how the C's did not win that game without help. But instead this is what I got:

"My boy Leon Powe killed us... and yes, I know him personally from CAL, I was his trainer for 2 years while he was hurt and I know the man has game, but coooooooommmmmeeee onnnnnn LAKERS!!!!!

I was pleased to see the tremendous come back late in the 4th, at the same time I was
mad that Phil didn't have Vujacic in sooner because Radmanovic was F'n things up all night. I'm just frustrated right and hope that we can come out with 3 wins in LA.
Ya'll are looking real good right now, I think our only hope at winning is if your benchcatches the flu or something. Hmmm... I might have my sick cousin walk by your locker room before the game tomorrow night. I'm calling him right now. This is Biological Warfare!!!!"

Now that is a real fan of his team. Not once does he blame it on anyone else, but the team he ROOTS for. If more fans were like that, the sports world would be a better place. Instead, we are stuck with "fans" who have this ridiculous sense of entitlement, who will continue to run sports into the ground.

Things that make me angry during the Red Sox/Rays game...

So, it has been a very long time since I have blogged. We are in New Jersey this summer for my summer internship with the Hunterdon Health Care System. Because of that I come home tired and I just want to spend time with Amy and Grace. So, I do and I don't blog. BUT, right now I watching the Sox play the Rays on ESPN. I am not even going to rant about how horrible Sutcliffe is tonight, but as I watch somethings on the TV driving me crazy.
First, for about 2 innings ESPN decided that it was a great idea to add something to there bottom line. Even few seconds a breaking news report would come on the screen with this important, earth shattering news: Derek Jeter has surpassed Mickey Mantle for 3rd on the all time Yankees hit list. NOT MLB ALL TIME HIT LIST...NOPE, THE YANKEES HIT LIST! Will there be breaking news when someone becomes the player with the 3rd most hits on the Rays???? Why should anyone care?????????
Second, and this has nothing to do with ESPN. There are a lot of things that drive me crazy about the Cialis commercials, but I noticed something today. The announcer guy said, "Do not drink alcohol in excess when taking Cialis." WHEN SHOULD ONE EVER DRINK ALCOHOL IN EXCESS??? WHEN IS THAT EVER A GOOD IDEA? I want the announcer to say next time, "Do not rob any banks while taking Cialis." Seriously...wow.