I'd never heard of Jim Caple until I stumbled upon his recent "article" on ESPN.com's Page 2. He is asking the pointless question of "Who's fans are the most Obnoxious?". He then goes on to state his belief as an ex-Red Sox fan, that the Red Sox fans who don't bail on the team are the winners of the award.

First of all, Jimmy, I really don't have a lot of respect for an ex-fan of anything. Abandoning your team, especially to root for their main rival, shows an elemental lack of spine and trustworthiness. Now that you have immersed yourself in Italian-American pseudo-toughs with cheesy mustaches and exquisitely monosyllabic vocabularies, your compelled to switch (like all Yankee fans) from chanting cerebral epithets like "1918" and "Who's Your Daddy", to now explaining the the Red Sox Nation has magically transformed from pathetic to obnoxious after one World Series. If this particular "logic" isn't proof of who's the most obnoxious (not to mention pathetic) group of fans, nothing will ever prove it!

So, along with the Sox, who makes for the most hated fan-base? The Yankers, Duke, Notre Dame, Cowboys, and Lakers. So let's see... Notre Dame has 11 national championships (football). The Yankers have 26 World Series. The Lakers have 15. Duke has 3 national championships (basketball). The Cowboys have five Super Bowl rings, and the Raiders have three. Can you follow me on this? How does one World Series since 1918 automatically qualify Sox fans for this list?

Caple goes on to compare Red Sox Nation to the Cowboys claim of being America's Team. I can see why he'd go this route since the only team hated by more people that Dallas would be the Yankers. But the elemental flaw in his logic is the fact that by calling yourself America's Team, you insinuate that the country is behind you and that rooting for others is some how unpatriotic. The term Red Sox Nation indoctrinates or drafts no one. It merely signifies that the fan base extends across the country. Only a fool would argue the geography.

Perhaps the clearest evidence of bias and stupidity is Caple's assertion that Red Sox Nation only exists when they are winning. Considering the total history of the Red Sox franchise, has there ever been a more shocking dumb-ass comment? Ever?

So lets talk about true obnoxiousness. Yanker lemmings complain (at least Jim does) about the playing of "Sweet Caroline" at the Fens like there has ever been anything more trite and nauseating that hearing the late Frank "Johnny Fontaine" Sinatra belt out "New York, New York" after games at The Toilet. Next, I'll mention the fans that truly blend into the woodwork when the falls short. And notice I do not use the words "suck" or "stink". It's been a long time since the Yankers were that bad. But their fans become quieter than Marcel Marceau on a putting green if the Yankees don't win the World Series every year. They also become rather quiet when the subject of the teams maniacal, mentally ill, and monstrously wealthy owner comes up. They live in the past more so than any team with 5 championships in the last decade would be expected to (although that has waned a bit since the whole "1918" thing has become pointless.) They refuse to admit that outside of the 5 boroughs, Yanker fans in the 25 to 35 year old range cease to exist because all of the out-of-town Yanker fans are such for one reason - they jumped onto the band wagon of the hot team (circa 1977 and 1998). How many guys do you know who were middle-school age on 1985 who are Yanker fans? They even have a TV series that explores the dysfunctional 1977 championship team, making total asses out of Billy Martin, Reggie Jackson, and George Steinbrenner, and they love it!

"Yo, did you see The Bronx is Burnin' last night?" says Mikey.

"$#&@ing-A right, I saw it!" says Sal.

"Awesome!" says Mikey.

"$#&@ing-A!" says Sal.

I know that Yanker fans are not supposed to like Red Sox fans. I understand that Red Sox fans aren't supposed to like Yanker fans (don't worry...we don't). But lets stick to realistic arguments about tangible things remotely based in reality. (Perhaps like who was the bigger disappointment, Damon or Drew.) The whole you're-more-obnoxious-than-us thing is A) Not remotely plausible, and B)Whiny and annoying, even as compared to your usual nonsense.

As for you, Jimmy? My mother always told me not to say anything if I didn't have something nice to say, so...

You're a twit, Jim.

Sorry, Mom.

Labels: baseball, ESPN, Jim Caple, obnoxious fans, Red Sox, Yankers

Great googly-moogly! What a week for the Phillies, huh? Four wins over the division leading Mets have pulled the Phils within 2 in the the NL East! Two games, my friends!

And what a set of games! Especially games two, three and four. On Tuesday, Ryan Howard clubbed a tenth inning two-run, walk-off homer in the tenth. Yesterday's game ended on an interference call against Marlon Anderson that not only kept the tying run from counting, but garnished the game ending out. Today, after losing a 5 run lead and finding themselves down 10 to 8, the Phils scored 1 in the eighth and 2 in the ninth, including a walk-off hit by Chase Utley to finish the broom job.

The star studded Mets could simply not deal with the red-hot offense of the Phils. Outscoring New York 27 to 26 in the series, the Phils have placed them selves on the brink of a division lead as they head to Florida to face the cellar dwelling Marlins while the Mets move on to the always dangerous Atlanta Braves.

Could it be that my dream of a Sox/Phils Series isn't quite dashed like I'd thought? I know my Red Sox looked like crappola this week, getting swept themselves by the Yankers. But they still have a 5 game lead in the AL East and I'm hoping they are not capable of the titanic slump they'd need to screw themselves out of both the division and the wild card. (They are the Red Sox, though.)

Nonetheless, I must be positive. I cannot let myself be pessimistic. Sure, the possibility of my two favorite teams facing each other in the World Series is still ridiculously slim. But the sheer madness of the thought is too much to ignore. The feeling of looking at all those folks (mostly Yanker fans with a spattering of Met fans, too) and being able to say; "Hey, whose two-favorite teams are in the big show?" Or possibly, "Who's got taste? Oh, yeah! IT'S ME!!!!"

To dream a dream!

Labels: Atlanta, baseball, Marlins, Mets, Phillies, Yankers

Is it just me or does Aaron Rowand have one of the weirdest looking batting stances in the history of the game? He looks sort of like he's trying to hold in a big fart.

Labels: Aaron Rowand, baseball, Phillies

I was reading a thread on SOSH and was smiling a bit at the discussions of who we (Sox fans) would rather the team have to meet in the post season. Some feel that the Indians would be the best option for the ALDS, then an Angel team that has knocked out the Yankers. (According to SOSH, if the Yankers get the WC and the rest of things stay as is, this would be possible.) Others stipulate that they will enjoy the playoffs much more if even the most remote chance of a Yankee WS win is removed by their lack of a post season berth, period. Some fans say that Seattle is the better choice for an opponent in the ALDS. The theories abound.

Me? I have not processed quite that far, yet. I'm still trying to fight off the feeling that all of this talk is dangerous since the Sox have not clinched anything, yet. I hate to be a pessimist, but I'd feel safer if we simply focus our collective energies on kicking the snot out of NY in their house, then just plain having fun when they come to the Fens. I hate to look too far forward, but should that surprise anyone, given the name of this blog?

I did have hopes of that rarest of happenings, a Philly/Boston World Series. I suppose that is as forward thinking and silly optimistic as I could be. The thought of having started this blog in a season where both of my teams made the big show was just too delicious to ignore. Can you imagine the mileage I'd get out of that one? It would almost be wonderful enough to counter act the internal turmoil I'd feel watching the games.

Now, with Philly 3 games out of a Wild Card spot, a series with the Mets beginning, and the Padres looking tough, my hopes of this unbelievable turn of events, aligning of planets, and convergences of fortune, are all but dashed. Still, the hated Braves are sinking ever lower, even with the stellar performance of Mark Teixeira, RBI robot. That always brings a dry smile to even the darkest Phillies face.

I'm not a particularly superstitious person, but I know that it is a ruling force in the realm of baseball. So, maybe we should stop being quite so sure of things just yet.

Maybe?

Labels: baseball, Braves, Indians, Phillies, Red Sox, SOSH, superstition, Yankers

Don't you think that sometimes players wish they had the option of vetoing photos taken during games?

Labels: baseball, funny, Mets, Ortiz, photoshop, Red Sox, White Sox

As much as I was enjoying it, I have abandoned the "Boxed Up" posts that I was doing. My schedule simply doesn't allow for them. I found that I was spending too much time preparing the box scores and too little thinking and blogging about by beloved Phils and Sox!

Labels: baseball, Boxed, Phillies, Red Sox

I suppose any one who has actually read this blog must be on a true search for all things Phillies-related or Sox-related. But just in case you haven't heard of this yet, check out We Should Be GM's, a really interesting (and, in my opinion, occasionally hilarious) blog focused on the Phillies and Pirates.

In particular, check out the "Angry Blogger Arrested Post" from 8/12. It's a riot!

I'm linking to these guys. Here's hoping they'll link to me.

Labels: baseball, blog, Phillies

Barry Bonds has lots of answers for questions about his alleged performance enhancing substance use. Here's two I would like answers to:

Barry, how is it your head has grown from 7 1/8 to 7 3/4?

Barry, how is it that your feet have gone from a 10 1/2 to a 13?

My shoe size and hat size have not gone up since I was a senior in high school, even though I am about 80lbs heavier now than back then. On the other hand, if you had allowed a bobble-head to be done in your likeness, the proportions would be pretty accurate.

Please, Mr. Bonds, email your answer to philsox@spieles.com.

Thanks in advance.

Labels: Barry, Bonds, record, steroids

I can't figure these guys out at all. The Yankers beat up on the Jays for two games, then lose the third by something like 11 runs. The Sox get man handled by the Angels for two games, scoring a total of 6 runs to LA's 14, they come back on the third night and score 9, and the bull pen holds for a win. The Phillies split with the Cubs, lose two to the slumping Brewers, the beat them in the third. Now they are poised to sweep the Marlins (based on the other series I've mentioned, what are the odds of that?)

I have fond that it is harder to block out time to write in this blog when the Sox or Philles lose. When they both lose, it's almost impossible. But I'm trying.

Here's another thought for the sake of jinxing the whole deal: With the Sox leading their division and the Phillies only one game from the wild card, the odds are better than they have been in a long time (possibly 1ever) that the Phillies and the Red Sox could face each other in the World Series It's a long shot, sure, but not as long as most years! What would I do then? This exercise in duality would really get interesting then, no? Who would I really be pulling for in that one?

I can't even think about that now - it's making my head hurt!

Labels: Angels, baseball, Padres, Philadelphia, Red Sox, Yankers

I came back from vacation with the Sox and Phils in about the same spots they were when I left. The Phils are a little better off, tied for second place in the division with Atlanta at 3.5 games back. They are only one game behind the Padres for the NL wild card.

Now that I think about it...they are better off than when I left.

The Sox were 7 games behind the Yankers when I left. Yesterday, it was 5, but now we're back to six. The good news is that the Yankers play the AL Central leading Indians, while the Red Sox play the cellar based Orioles. Looking at the schedules for New York and Boston from now until the end, the major challenge for both might be each other. The Yankers still need to play the Angels (in not in Yanker Stadium) and recently slumping Detroit. But the Sox and Yankers play two more series against each other, one in Boston and one in New York.

Labels: baseball, Boston, Boxed, Philadelphia, Phillies, Red Sox

I've been away on vacation, which is why there has not been a "Boxed Up" in awhile. My apologies.

While I was gone, Barry hit #755 to tie Aaron. Nothing much I can say on this except to show this little bit of statistical info and some images and let it speak for itself.

Labels: 755, Barry, baseball, Bonds, photoshop, statistics, steroids