Blogs, Baseball and a Bloody Sock - Why Not?

Just a quick post about a news item that combines a few things that I really like - baseball and blogging. Not so sure about the blood part, but just like Tommy Lasorda bleeds Dodger blue, it's only fitting that players for the Red Sox bleed red - right?

So, there's been a bit of a story brewing in the sports media that the fabled "bloody sock" from Curt Schilling during the 2004 ALCS Series against the Yankees - perhaps THE defining moment in Red Sox history - was bogus. You don't have to look far to find this story, along with the subsequent denials from the Red Sox to discredit this ridiculous claim. The more I think about it, this is sounding a bit like Verizon's patent claims - I digress.....

Well, this could be a lame excuse to talk about the Red Sox, who are off and running, and have a golden opportunity this weekend to stick it to the Yankees right in George's house - weather permitting. I won't deny that, but what I really want to post about is that the protagonist in this story - Curt Schilling - who we all know is outspoken and very media friendly (he's a regular on the Boston sports talk show scene)- also happens to have a blog. It's called 38 Pitches, where he blogs not just about baseball, but his personal life and his activities outside of baseball. If you're a gamer, you might already know this, as gaming is one of his passions, and 38 Studios is a venture he started up to develop games. It's all there on the blog if you want to poke around.

Back to the sock incident - they picked the wrong guy to accuse for a sensational story, and Curt has wasted no time putting up his personal take on the matter. Today's post, titled "Ignorance has its privileges", provides his rebuttal to this nonsense, along with his some criticism about the media in general, especially when the media itself becomes the story, as opposed to getting the story.

I've scanned the major U.S. sports sites, and while everyone is talking about this story, outside of the Boston sports media, Curt's post isn't being picked up. Either they're steering clear of it because they don't like the message - or they don't know what to make of jocks who blog (which may well be true). Or they don't know he's got a blog - which I would be surprised to learn. In any event, if ESPN was smart, they'd get an RSS feed going to my blog, at least for my Red Sox posts! :-))

There's a whole can of worms here around sports stars and celebrities who blog, since they're going to have a built-in following, and you never know what their real agenda is. That's another discussion, but I just wanted to tie in a few themes here, since this story just emerged the other day, and it happens to focus on a guy who blogs, and is pretty articulate in the first place, and just happens to play for the Red Sox.

I'm done - back to work...


Technorati tags: Boston Red Sox, Jon Arnold, Curt Schilling, baseball

Red Sox Opening Day - Worried Already

I haven't blogged about the Red Sox for ages, and probably should have written up my outlook for this year. Too late now, and I'm worried already. No need to re-hash yesterday's ugly loss to the Royals, but for a Red Sox fan it's never too early to think the sky is falling.

Lots of ominous signs for sure, and I really hope this isn't a sign of things to come....

- no offence to speak of - but they do get off to a promising start, scoring in the first inning
- Ortiz drives in the only run
- Manny comes up empty
- JD Drew gets a hit, but no damage
- Coco Crisp is invisible down at the bottom of the order
- Varitek doesn't produce much either
- Schilling has his shortest outing in 10 years

We saw a lot of this last year, and the patterns are repeating already. Ughhh. They produced no offense during Spring Training, and you have to wonder why. No way they'll be able to keep pace with the Yankees and the Jays hitting like that. The pitching will be fine, but you need offense to win games. And Lugo/Pedroia is not an upgrade defensively over Gonzalez and Loretta, and that will catch up to them sooner or later.

Anyhow, it's a day off to regroup, and see how Beckett does tomorrow.

I'm away at a Cisco channel summit this week, so blogging will be light the next few days. I'll leave you with one more source to mine if you're still dwelling on the Opening Day letdown. Curt Schilling has a blog, and it's widely/wildly followed by the Nation, so be my guest if you want to read his blow-by-blow account. And if that doesn't sate your anxiety, you can just keep going and read the 200+ fan comments about his post. How's that for tying in the Red Sox and the world of IP?


Technorati tags: Boston Red Sox, Jon Arnold, Curt Schilling, baseball

Red Sox Land "Dice K" - the Nation Smiles

I've been quiet on the Red Sox front, but just have to cite the good news. From all accounts, the Sox have a deal with Daisuke Matsuzaka, and if things go to plan, they should have the best rotation in baseball, end of story. So, Johnny Damon and friends will now have to learn a new word - all together now - MAT - SU - ZAKA. It's a bit like Matsui, guys, but he doesn't have the gyro pitch.


Here he is, arriving on Red Sox Airways! A bit like the Beatles at Shea, at least for some of us. Photo courtesy of the Boston Globe.




So, if he's the real deal, the Sox will be in great shape. It's been a banner day for the Nation, as Julio Lugo was introduced today, and even Doug Mirabelli has agreed to stay on another year. Add in J.D. Drew - who may or may not work out - and Timlin staying for another year, and the team will have filled a lot of holes, and possibly upgraded their offense.

Oh, and for what it's worth, Gabe Kapler has retired at the ripe age of 31, and is staying around to coach in the Sox's minor league system. Always liked him, but after tearing his Achilles heel - right here in Toronto, that was just about it for him. Anyone who saw this would surely say it was one of the most bizarre things they've ever seen on a sports field. Ask me later if you didn't see it.

Now, two BIG questions remain:

1. Manny - will he stay or will he go? I say he stays, which would make for a scary 3-4-5 combo - presuming he's motivated and can still be Manny in Papi's large shadow.

2. A closer. Still the big hole, but there's time to figure this one out. Let's not forget that Jon Lester recovered nicely, and has a great future when he's healthy enough to play again

Smaller question - Coco Crisp. I still think he's another Renteria, but maybe he can bring his game to where everyone thought it would be next year. He's still with us, so I guess that's what the hope is.


Technorati tags: Boston Red Sox, Jon Arnold, baseball

These are a few of my favorite things...

If you read my blog regularly, you know I really love music, and this lyric comes to mind for this post. I'll just stick to the vocalized version, but you can be sure I've got John Coltrane's epic version going on in my head. It doesn't get any better than that, but that's another conversation...

With the World Series thankfully resuming tonight (and can you believe there are NO New York teams in it???), there was a really great and timely feature in today's Globe & Mail about MLB.com. Next to Google, this is the best Web 2.0 platform ever created, and I don't think anybody ever thought it would be so successful and profitable.

Grant Robertson does a great job telling the story in today's paper, and it's a solid read that brings two of my favorite things together - baseball and the Internet. One of the points that really sticks with me in the article is the fact that while baseball is the most traditional of all major league sports (Pro Sports 1.0 at best), they have written the book Pro Sports 2.0, and are miles ahead of all the other sports in terms of embracing the Internet.

To me, that's a HUGE takeaway, and validation that any business in any industry has an opportunity to do the same. So, when you hear about the Big 3 auto makers getting buried again by their Asian competitors, don't tell me there isn't a way for them to use the Net to somehow - someway connect with car buyers in a Web 2.0 way that really grabs them, and redefines their relationship with the customer. The possibilities are endless, and I have no doubt they're on the case, as I'm sure others are in other industries.

All I'm trying to say is that if MLB can do it, pretty much anybody can. After all, in baseball parlance, we're only in the first inning of the game, and it's a l-o-n-g season.

Go Tigers!


Technorati tags: Major League Baseball, Jon Arnold, Web 2.0

Red Sox Fade to Third - Down and Out

The Red Sox season has been over for a while, and I'm not going to get into that now. Last night they played the finale of a 4 game set here in Toronto, and it was the Jays's last home game of the season. The Sox played like they cared in the first two games, but went out meekly and quietly in the last two. Taking 3 of 4, the Jays slipped past the Sox, moving 1/2 a game ahead into second place. Oy.

Sorry folks, but I can't remember the last time the Sox were in 3rd place this late in the year, and the same for the Jays being in 2nd place. Well, being a Sox fan living in Toronto, it was a strange game last night. I was in the cheap seats courtesy of a baseball buddy who talked me into coming out to the game. I expected the Sox to be flat, boy, did they deliver.

So, that's all I'm gonna say - I'm sad to say I was witness to this trading of places in the standings. It may not last, but for a least a day, the Jays can be pretty happy about where they are. Actually, they've had a great season considering their injuries, and they will definitely be a factor next year and beyond.

For what it's worth, the combined payrolls of the Jays and Sox are a touch less than the Yankees. I think if you took the best 10 guys from each team and put them together, the Red Jays could give the Yanks a good run for the money. But that's not gonna happen, and boy, do the Sox have some work to do in the off season.

Here's the view from 500 level seats in the Rogers Center courtesy of my Nokia N90 - I can't imagine being this far away from the action in any ball park, and I've been to quite a few.








Technorati tags: Boston Red Sox, Jon Arnold

Next Year, Next Year

Last time I commented about the Red Sox I said I wouldn't get into a lengthy post-mortem. The Boston Massacre II had taken place, and well, it was pretty clear that when it matters, the 2006 Red Sox are not in the same league as the Yankees. It's hard to come out and say that, and for much of the season it wasn't true. But it's true now, and the Fenway sweep pretty much says it all.

When the Sox play well, they're solid - not a complete team, but top tier. But looking at where these two teams are at now, and the road ahead, a positional breakdown comes out heavily in NY's favor:

Lowell/Hinske vs. A-Rod - NY
Gonzalez/Cora vs. Jeter - NY
Loretta vs. Cano - NY
Youklis vs. Giambi - NY
Varitek/Mirabelli vs. Posada - BOS (maybe)
Ramirez vs. Sheffield/? - BOS - but not by much
Coco vs. Damon - NY - in spades
Nixon/Pena/Kapler vs. Abreu/Matsui - NY
Ortiz vs. anyone else - BOS - in spades
Top 3 starters - EVEN - slight edge to BOS
Starting rotation - EVEN - both inconsistent
Middle relief - NY
Setup - NY
Papelbon vs. Rivera - NY
Francona vs. Torre - NY
Epstein vs. Cashman - NY - this time around
Heart/soul/desire/will/clutch - NY

Looking at like this, it's really hard to see how the Red Sox can come out ahead, and even though there are 30+ games left, you just know it's over. Ever the optimist, I still held out some hope after the big sweep. After all, the Sox hit the road, regroup and maybe get their mojo back. And yes, the Yankees have faltered, and if things were going right, the Sox could still be in range. But the Yankees have left the Sox on the mat, and they've shown no signs of getting up.

Six games into this road trip, and it's clear, they're not bouncing back, and it just looks to me like they've stopped playing for Tito and conceded the season. Now the injuries are popping up, and all kinds of things will start to go wrong. The Red Sox psyche is fragile by nature, and when it falters, it spirals downward in a hurry. No doubt there will be housecleaning, and Coco is looking a lot like Edgar Renteria. If Vernon Wells chooses not to stay here in Toronto, he would be a huge upgrade for the Sox, and this is one case where they won't lose him to the Yankees.

So, I'll leave it at that, and just wonder a bit if the Babe is still looking over our shoulder...


Source: Boston Public Library


Finally, the inspiration for this posting came from an email one of my long-time Boston friends sent the other day, and wraps things up nicely...




Technorati tags: Boston Red Sox, Jon Arnold, baseball

Back to Work - Fall VON Ramp Up

It's great being on vacation, but there's no way to ease back to work. I've had 4 briefings today, and not much bandwidth left to get back into a working rhythm. I can see it will take a few days to catch up on news and old emails and re-energize for things like blogging. When I'm on vacation, I'm on vacation, so I have no idea what's been happening in the last week. But I'll have to work fast to catch up as back-to-school is around the corner, and when you have kids, there's no escaping what's needed to re-program them.

That said, one thing I do know is that Fall VON is coming up fast. It's certainly worth citing since this is the 10th anniversary, which I think is a pretty big deal in this space, and Jeff will receiving a healthy share of well-deserved kudos over the next while.

You don't have to look far to get a taste for the buzz around this event, which is going to be the biggest VON yet, and one with a fresh focus on video, which Jeff has been keenly focused on all year. Easiest place is to go directly to the source, as in Jeff's blog, where he posted about the show today.

I'll be attending the full conference, so feel free to let me know if you want to connect that week. You can also catch me on the Analyst Roundtable on Monday afternoon, during the FMC pre-conference track.

To close off here, I can't mention being in Boston in September without talking about the Red Sox. Normally, this creates conflicts for me at Fall VON, but not this year, certainly after today. I'm as die-hard as they come, but as of about 1:15am early this morning, I conceded the season. It's not worth talking about, but over a beer in the Back Bay at VON, I'm happy to deconstruct the season and Theo-rize about how to put Humpty Dumpty back together again for 2006. Any takers?

And to bring this back to Jeff, the Yankees are all yours. It's not going to be the 1986 Mets/Sox rematch I was thinking about, but rather another NY subway series.


Technorati tags: VON, Jon Arnold, Jeff Pulver

Coco Saves the Day

Yeahhhhh....sometimes a picture is worth 1000 words. Nothing to add - great homestand, Red Sox. Coco saves the game, and the Mets go home empty handed. Sorry Pedro....



Photo courtesty Boston.com

Sox-Mets - World Series Preview?/1986 Revisited

Only in Boston do they celebrate losers! I'm not sure if this is pathetic, or the mark of a great sports town with a sense of history. The answer is obvious to me, and believe me, they wouldn't be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the 1986 World Series if they hadn't won in 2004. That would be really sad.

All I can say is that if it goes well, I have no doubt next year will be the 40th anniversary of the 1967 "Impossible Dream" Red Sox, who lost heroically to the Bob Gibson Cardinals, of course, in 7. The Sox always lose in 7! I remember it like it was yesterday, as do millions of Nation followers, and if the Cardinals are slated for an interleague visit next year, it sure would be fun to see the likes of Yaz and Gibson again. I digress, but in a nice way....

So, tonight - weather permitting - interleague play continues, and the Red Sox host the Mets. Normally this wouldn't merit a blog post, but the stars have lined up to make this a special event. At this point in the season, these are arguably the two best teams in baseball, and I think there's a pretty strong chance they will meet again in October.

With all this good karma happening, it's no surprise the Red Sox are making a big deal about the 20th anniversary of the 1986 World Series, which does not bear repeating here. But in case you need to know, I'll reprise the box scores, and you can draw your own joyous or painful conclusions...





Perhaps things will be different this year - the season is barely halfway over - lots can and will happen. If you thought Johnny Damon's return to Fenway was fun, I can't wait to see how things go on Wednesday when Pedro makes his return, squaring off against Beckett.

I'm going to close out with two short references to 1986. It's hard not to get pulled back to this today, so this is a form of catharsis to get it out of my system. Then I can serenely return to the 21st Century and think about what today's heroes - Papi, Manny, Papelbon - might do in this series.

First, an anecdote. I watched Game 7 of that series at a friend's house. I lived in an apartment building then (in Toronto), and after parking my car in the garage (following a very quiet, pondering drive home), I get on the elevator up to my floor. I'm joined by someone else, who I recognized as a neighbor on my floor. Yeesh - I remembered, he was from Boston too, and we both had this sullen, hollowed-out look of defeat. It was obvious we had both come home from watching the game, and never raised our heads to make eye contact. Just stared blankly at the floor - WE KNEW - there was nothing to say, just silent suffering. Never saw him again...

On a visual note, Jeff Pulver's office is quite a site. Amidst all the rock momentos, cool posters, gadgets and knick knacks, this sits quietly in the corner, propped up against the window...





Oh, cruel ye gods. Captured at the moment of humility, the Buckner Incident that in an instant tore the heart out of New England, because we knew then and there that victory had been snatched away again by the baseball gods. There was a lot more baseball to be played before the series was over, but you just knew then it was over.

Not only is this picture a painful reminder, but it's autographed by both Buckner and Mookie!!!!! It's hard to see from the photo, but it's there. Jeff is a lucky guy to have this, and I hope he enjoys it. I could never do the same. Mind you, I need to be nice to Jeff because he has Mets tickets! If our teams meet again in October, I'll make sure to let him know that if he needs company, I'm there.....


Technorati tags: Boston Red Sox, Jon Arnold, Jeff Pulver

White Sox/Tigers Highlights

On the last night of Globalcomm (Wednesday), my good friend Kevin Petschow, who's with Cisco, took me out to the ballgame. He's a long time CWS supporter, and I didn't mind cheering for those other Sox for a change. Turned out to be a good move, based on how vocal the fans around us were! As it turned out, the Sox won a close game, 4-3. And my Sox were rained out with the Yankees, so I wasn't distracted watching the scoreboard.

This is my last post related to Globalcomm. Again, the photos and video are from my Nokia N90. Not so great for wide angle pix, but the best of the bunch are here. Video is always tricky with live sports, since you never know when a big play will happen. Of course I missed the home runs, as well as Bobby Jenks making short work in the 9th to notch the save, but the clip I did get was fun. Check it out - the link is at the bottom of this post. I managed to catch what unfolded leading up to the winning run being scored, but the real fun is watching the fans razz the Tiger left fielder who misplayed the ball right in front of us. Yeowww. Enjoy!



Take me out the ball game.......




Kevin in his home whites; and me, in my....well, at least I've got my Red Sox cap




Picture perfect night for a game. See the pinwheels on top of the giant scoreboard - fireworks come out when the Sox homer or win.



Our view - twilight before the game, then during the game. Everyone loves a winner - the Sox draw real well these days. No longer the poor South Side cousins to those uppity Cubs.





Jim Leyland says "we're gonna win tonite".
Mr. Contreras, warming up right by our seats, is thinking the same thing. He turns out to be right, upping his record to 6-0. He's won 14 straight decisions, so it's hard to argue with the hot hand. Cy Young material? Maybe. I'll stick with my iron horse, Schilling for that call. He subdued the Yankees last night, and is 9-2 now - tops for wins in the AL.




The Sox finally got some championship banners to show off. Take that Cubbies - this is our town now! 1908? That's so last century, and no signs of changing history anytime soon. Such passionate fans - oh my, this is something you'd never see in Toronto...





Finally, here's the video clip I was describing earlier. It starts slow - not much happening, and then a hit. The left fielder Gomez boots it, allowing a runner to score, which turns out to be the game-winner. Towards the end of the clip, the chants of "GO-MEZ" get louder and louder. Tough crowd - poor guy.

If there's any consolation, the Tigers won the next game and are still in first place. If the season ended today, the White Sox would just barely edge out my Red Sox for the wildcard. However, we have a long way to go, and both the Tigers and Yankees will fade. The White Sox don't quite have the mojo this year, but enough to take the division, and if the Red Sox pitching holds up, this could finally be the year they finish ahead of NY. Now, if the Sox - Red and White - meet again in the postseason... I'm not going there yet - way too early to suss that one out.


Quick coda - if you're a White Sox fan, you may want to poke around on the YouTube site where my clips are stored. On the page that hosts my clip, you'll find tons of other user-generated clips by White Sox fans. Have fun...



Technorati tags: baseball, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, Jon Arnold

Mayday, Mayday! - Johnny Comes Marching Home

Well, it's May 1st - and it really does feel like May Day. Well, Mayday, actually. The Red Sox Nation has had this date circled on their calendar ever since Johnny Damon went over to the Evil Empire.


When Johnny met Manny... happier times - never! (courtesy of Boston.com)






Tonight marks the return of JD to Fenway, as the Yankees and Sox meet for the first time this year. On paper, the two teams are fittingly tied for first place in a competitive division, but on the field, they're going in very different directions. It's only one month into the season, and I'm worried - very worried.

The Yankees are playing the kind of baseball that won them championships a few years back, while the Red Sox have gone into a black hole that I have no idea how they'll get out of. They return home after a disastrous 3 and 6 road trip - first time in 3 years they've dropped 3 series in row.

The first game of that trip was right here in Toronto, and it may have set the tone for the rest of the season. Going into that game, things were going smoothly, and the Sox were looking like the team to beat. They were cruising along 6-2 in the 8th inning, and Beckett was looking like the guy we wanted when we signed him. Then the wheels came off, and the Jays made an inspired comeback to tie it, and outlast the Sox to win it in 12. Beckett was shelled even worse next outing Cleveland, giving up 9 runs in like 3 inninings. Huh?? The only good that came out of that trip was Manny ending the longest homerless drought of his career.

It's the nature of a Sox fan to worry, and there's plenty of reason right now. I think everyone is happy to see Theo Epstein back, but the roster overhaul is not giving us the team we need. Just a few things to consider that are not working out yet as planned...

- Coco Crisp - should, and probably will be right move. But he's been hurt, playing only 5 games so far. So, nothing there, and we don't have that table-setter to get those big rallies going. So far, it doesn't look like Damon has missed a beat in NY - he's brought so much to their game, and they sure look strong now.

- Josh Beckett - a bit of a risk, but a key move to get a second ace for the rotation. Had a great start, but has totally flamed out the last 2, and he faces the Yankees tomorrow night. What, me worry?

- Tim Wakefield - has actually pitched very well, but Josh Bard can't handle the knuckleball, and he's losing games he normally wins, and all those passed balls are costing us games. To boot, having Varitek sit every fifth game to have Bard's weak bat in the lineup is a bad idea. Can someone please make a deal to get Mirabelli back?

- Giving up Arroyo for Pena - these are the kinds of bad moves the Sox used to make. What looked like a strong pitching unit has turned out to be anything but, and Arroyo is sorely missed. He's shining in Cinci, and is even keeping pace with Manny in the HR department. To think that he took below market value to stay with the Sox, and we then shipped him to the NL... To boot, Wily Mo is a strikeout machine and a liability in the field. He did come through yesterday, but he's left a lot of men on base. So, the Sox have taken two steps backwards on this deal.

- Manny who? What is he waiting for? You have to wonder if he's feeling overshadowed by Papi and doesn't like being second slugger. Manny being Manny - that never changes, but we need his bat, big time.

- Mark Loretta - his defence has been good, for sure, but he's barely hitting .200. Should he really be hitting second? We need something better in this spot to set the table for Ortiz and Manny.

- Matt Clement/David Wells. If these guys pitched well, the Sox have perhaps the best rotation in baseball. Of course that's a big if. It looks like Wells is done, and Clement has quickly reverted to form for the second half of last year, which was awful. He does give you innings, but when he loses it, we lose. Why can't we have the Matt from the first half of last year when he was a deserving All Star?

- Pitching roster is looking very shaky overall. On paper, we have 5 quality starters, which should carry you a long way. Wakefield will never be fully effective until the catching situation is fixed. Right now, we only seem to have one reliable starter in Schilling, and the middle relief is just a disaster. There's NOONE in that group who can come into a game and stop the bleeding. This is where the Sox are losing games - in the 6th and 7th innings, before they can bring in their good arms. Again, this is where Arroyo would have been so valuable.

- Where's the offence gone? Aside from Ortiz's superman numbers in April, there's nothing shaking here. Nobody else is coming up with clutch hits, and they can't get any rallies going. They must be leading the league with runners LOB, and near the bottom for homers and stolen bases. Time after time they've got good hitters coming up with men on base, and they're just not cashing in. It's costing them games, they're losing ground to both the Jays and Yankees who definitely have a knack of bringing their runners home.

- Finally, what you see is the team we've got. It's not like the Sox are racked with injuries. Aside from Coco and Wells, the team is pretty healthy. The offence just has to improve or we're going nowhere. The pitching has been problematic, but good hitting and offence will negate a lot of that, especially when you've got a great closer.

So, there's LOTS of room for improvement. Of course, there have been some bright lights so far, and that's at least given them a winning record in April. Papelbon has been perfect, and is preserving the wins that Foulke was giving up so painfully last year. That's huge. It's been a while since the Sox have had anyone they can trot out to shut down the Yankees and counter the all powerful Rivera. That said, Foulke has pitched well, but even he knows that Papelbon is the man right now to close.

Schilling has also been great, and really does look to be back in winning form. The Sox have to have that to be contenders. Same goes for Beckett, but now he's got to prove his mettle after his last 2 train wreck starts. He'll have his chance tomorrow night.

Of course, Ortiz has been even better than hoped for, but it's very troubling to see Manny not feeding off this to raise his game.

Finally, the new look infield has been a huge upgrade, and the Sox are right at the top alongside the Twins in team defence. Again, they're saving games that guys like Renteria were throwing away for us last year. Gonzalez has the good glove, and we can live with his low average in the #9 spot - so long as the guys ahead of him are hitting a lot higher. That's not really happening right now, and the bottom 4 of the order is too weak for a contender.

So, a lot of problems are compounding each other, and the good things are being overshadowed by problems that weren't supposed to be there. Well, they've been laid bare, especially on this last road trip. This mini-series with the Yankees will be a big reality check. Is it too soon to be screaming Mayday??? Hopefully not. The Sox have a way of picking up their game against New York, but if they get blown out, I can guarantee you, the alarm bells will be ringing by Wednesday.

Google, Miro, Slingbox, Red Sox - Many Questions

It's one of those days where I don't have much to say, and am quite busy fulfilling projects for my clients. So for today, I've just got some loose ends to share - but these stories raise some really interesting questions. In this Web 2.0 world, the ground at our feet is like sand - always shifting, and everyone leaves a different imprint.

First up, fellow Canadian/Bruins fan/gadget guy, Jim Courtney.

Jim has recently become a contributing editor for Skype Journal, so he's got a great high profile soapbox now. Loved his post yesterday about getting interviewed by CBC about Slingbox.

It's a great sign of the times when our #1 national TV broadcaster does a story about Slingbox, which was just launched in Canada at the end of March. For those who can watch CBC, the segment is supposed to air next Monday or Tuesday at 6:30 according to Jim. Hopefully this piece will help spread the word about Slingbox and what place shifting is all about. As Jim says, it would be even neater if they made the segment available on their website, which is really another form of place shifting. Great going Jim - will try to watch it.


Next item - Miro and Google. You've all seen it, right?



Have to admit, it's well done, and the intentions seemed right - to honor Joan Miro's birthday. Given how Google is everywhere these days, you just know something had to come from this. I don't think this had much to do with their great earnings numbers, but there doesn't seem to be much right now they can't do.

Anyhow, I'm too busy to get into the details now, and I'll steer you instead to today's post by Alec Saunders. It's a great read and touches on the kinds of questions that come to mind for me.

It has raised all kinds of issues around copyright, artistic license, and plagarism, and makes you really wonder what rules will ultimately prevail in the digital world. I don't think Google expected the response it got, especially from ARS - the Artists Rights Society. And as Alec points out, the Miro family is probably missing out on a wonderful opportunity for Google to actually bring Joan Miro's art to a broader audience. Talk about a different kind of mashup! Just another hat for Google to wear - goodwill ambassador for the arts. Maybe this is the start of a trend where we'll start seeing stylized logos from Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc. for other artists. The possibilities are endless and could create a whole new pot of gold for licensing logos to get treatments by other artists. No doubt Andy Warhol would just be loving this...


Finally, the Red Sox.

Am a bit anxious after last night's finale of their homestand. Should have swept TBay and gone 7-3, but we may be seeing an early Achilles Heel here - their inability to hit southpaws. Kazmir had them stoned, and Wakefield wasted another great outing. Go figure - he only gives up 1 hit through 6 innings - and is down 2-1. Huh???? Another passed ball cost us a run, and then the wheels came off in the 8th. Can we do something, please, to get Mirabelli back? At least Foulke pitched well, and the tying run did come up with only 1 out in the 9th. But it was not to be.

Well, I get to see the Sox for real tonight - no Slingbox for me this time, Jim! They're here to play the Jays, and I'm going with my 13 year old, Max - hope to post some pix and clips over the weekend. Jays took 2 of 3 at Fenway, so we'll be looking to get even. The big hope is that Manny hits very well at Rogers Center - nee SkyDome - and he's so due it isn't funny. And talk about a fab pitching matchup tonight - Beckett vs. Burnett - the 2 biggest off season pitcher signings. Should be a great game. Only a true fan can get this into a ball game so early in the season - can't help it....

Papi Hapi - Let's Play Ball!

Gotta put VoIP aside for a few minutes to contemplate Opening Day at Fenway for the Nation. It's the 95th home opener for the Sox, and for the first time in many seasons, all looks well. Strong start on the road, everyone is contributing, the new players are fitting in, the Yankees look anemic, and we've got Mr. Ortiz on our side for the forseeable future. He got his $52 million, 4 year extension, and everyone seems happy about the situation. So, bring on Josh Beckett's Fenway debut at 2pm - against the Jays - of course!

VON Canada - Day 1

It's been a full day at VON Canada here in Toronto, with the highlights for me being Alec Saunders's presentation (filling in admirably where Niklas Zennstrom was scheduled to speak), the Skype developer's panel, and the blogger panel at the end of the day.

Right now, time only allows for me to post some photos and a video clip off my Nokia N90. Hope to add some narrative tomorrow...

Mark Evans, Dror Bukai:



Alec Saunders, Ronald Gruia/IMS General Session:




Sue/Ally (VON's PR dynamic duo), Blogger's panel:



Jim Courtney, demonstrating the magic of Slingbox. My world stopped at 2pm when Jim told me we could watch the Red Sox season opener on his PC via his Slingbox home setup. Boy, it was hard to walk away from this. Second photo is a closeup capturing Coco Crisp's very first regular season at bat for the Sox (he struck out - but the Sox won 7-3!). Pretty good picture quality - this stuff works.




I had enough memory to do one video clip today. It was the first few minutes of Alec Saunders's keynote this morning. He did a great job, and the clip will give a good flavor of his message. Alec mentioned that the full slide set can be downloaded off their website, but I don't see it up there quite yet. You can watch the video clip here.

Spring Training - Red Sox Hiber-Nation Over

Yesterday marked the start of Spring Training, and the official beginning of anxiety and fragile promises for the Nation. I just wanted to note the occasion, and say that it will soon be time to wear this hat and share my occasional thoughts on our prospects in the Johnny-Go-Home era.

Here are some fun photos of Day 1, courtesy of Boston.com.


What every kid dreams of.... but those clouds in the sky - looks ominous. I'm worried ALREADY!





The Fab Four - with David Wells conspicuously absent - gosh, can these guys really carry us to the promised land? Ya gotta believe...




Another question mark. Geez, pitching coach Al Nipper is so thrilled to see Foulkie at camp, he applauds even when he's throwing a water bottle! Hands together now, let's all pray he's still got it....




Literally, and figuratively, Papi carries this team on his back, Manny included. In Ortiz we trust!




You don't think the fans are happy he's back???? Go Theo!



Nobody looks happier having Theo back than Tito! Gee, he looks a little too happy for my liking - but they do make a nice couple...

Life Goes On � Patriots Out, Big Night for the Blues

Just a quick post about some of the other important things in my life�

Am still in shock about how the Patriots lost to Denver.

I�ll be brief and then move on. It�s hard to ignore how their incredible run � certainly one of the top 5 NFL runs of all time � could end in such an ugly, ignomious way. Will just say they were NOT beaten by a better team. A couple of BAD calls were enough to do them in, and on top that, those 5 turnovers were just plain unreal. Vinateri missing a chip shot. Brady getting picked when they were on the verge of taking the game over. They don�t make mistakes like this � absolutely no explanation for it.

Denver�s offense was a non-factor in the game � all their points came at the expense of Patriot miscues and bad calls that robbed them of a game they should have won. To be fair, Denver�s defence really was the story � they forced a lot of those mistakes that did the Pats in � they beat themselves - this was no Orange Crush, and Jake Plummer is no Tom Brady. And the AFC final should be a great game.

All I can say is that the same sports gods who slipped the mojo of my Red Sox to the Chisox decided it was time to do the same to the Patriots. It�s just how they even things out in the big scheme of things. All the breaks that always seemed to go the Patriots� way the past 4 years were balanced out in one game here, and most of that in the last 90 seconds of the first half! Cruel, cruel, ye gods.

No doubt, the �tuck rule� Super Bowl Patriots would have had those calls go their way � so, pass interference getting called on Denver, not us � which is what should have happened. Ben Watson�s brilliant effort to stop Champ Bailey could have resulted in a Patriot touchback, changing the whole complexion of the game. But they didn�t get those calls, and the gods can now rest easy � there will be no 3peat, and the rest of the football world can take solace in watching the Pats get some comeuppance. Ok, I'm over it now.

Given this was a full moon weekend, and it was Friday the 13th, it�s not surprising that the sports gods had other teams on their mind as well. How else do you explain Vangerjagt missing yesterday with the season on the line?? All I could think of was how similar it was to Vinateri missing in a situation on Saturday where he�s come through without fail. Of course, Van�s was much more critical, and it didn�t help to be wearing #13! I�ll bet those two guys will have a lot to commiserate about in the off-season.

And Bettis fumbling for the first time all year, in a situation that could/should have let Indy pull off a fantastic come from behinder??? This just doesn�t happen. And it�s no way for the Bus to end his great career. And just to come full circle, I had a feeling Pittsburgh would win, letting them do the dirty work to dispatch the Colts. All the Pats had to do was beat Denver � as they should have � and the road to Detroit would have then gone through Foxborough, where you know they would have beaten the Steelers. Yeah, yeah, whatever. Bring on the Panthers�.. I�ll be busy reading up on the Red Sox spring training schedule�..


Let�s move on the present � it�s much more uplifting�.

Blues is another of my passions, and tonight is our version of the Academy Awards in Canada. I�m a long time board member of the Toronto Blues Society, and tonight is our Maple Blues Awards event. In recent years this has grown to a national event and I recently posted a link for Canadian blues fans to vote online for their favorite homegrown blues performers. It�s really cool and it�s a great way to recognize our best, many of whom toil endlessly in the clubs, keeping the blues alive. Can�t help but notice it�s on MLK day this year � a happy coincidence, although the holiday has zero significance in Canada unfortunately.

Tomorrow I�ll post the highlights of all the winners � can�t do that now � it�s a big secret! Until then, I�m posting a wonderful profile of Richard Flohil, which ran in the Globe & Mail on Saturday. Richard has served the TBS for many years on the board, and is one of those seen-it-all guys with great stories about everyone in the blues biz over the past 40 years or so. In recognition for a lifetime of making Canadian blues happen, Richard is being honored with our Blues Booster Award. The article has some great anecdotes of his that any blues lover will enjoy, so check it out!

Why Is This Man Smiling?

A bit hard to take, but life goes on. Yankees sure didn't waste any time turning Mr. D into one of them - ya hardly recognize him. As they say, resistance is futile - you will be assimilated...

Ughhhh......





I like this guy better....

See Johnny Take the Money and Run...

I normally wouldn�t be blogging about the Red Sox at this time of the year, but how can you sit back and not say anything?

Why�d ya do it, Johnny? How could ya? Was it something I said?

That�s the natural reaction when any Red Sox fan heard the news about Damon going to the Yankees. It�s impossible not to feel that way. Everyone knows what he means to the Sox, and everyone knows he couldn�t have made more of an impact by going over to the Dark Side. And it happened so fast, and it seems to be all about money. No need to get into this � there�s no end to the reaction from both sides in the press and on the Net.

In IP land, it�s somewhat akin to Vint Cerf going over to Google from MCI. But this is much worse, and Google does not conjure up the Evil Empire � at least yet. Microsoft gained that distinction in its own way (I�m not in that camp, btw) years ago. OK, so it�s a weak analogy, but I had to put it in there if you�re not a Sox watcher!

The next reaction from the Nation flows effortlessly from here � this would never have happened if Theo was still in charge, and the Sox have already imploded, long before spring training even begins. On top of this, the infield has almost completely turned over, with holes to fill, Mirabelli is gone, some pitchers are gone, no GM, millions of shellshocked fans, Nomar has signed with the Dodgers, and Manny is probably not going anywhere. Oh, there is one ray of hope � Clemens could be lured back. Oh boy. Thank God we�ve still got Tek and Papi. There�s a reason we went 86 years without a World Series � Sox fans invented gloom, and nobody does it better.

Ok, now let�s calm down. We need to accelerate the cycle of denial, anger and acceptance to move on. It�s not hard to conclude that the Yankees, as always, overpaid -and offered too long of a contract. Of course Damon must have felt it was time to move anyhow � he probably saw too many signs of doubt, disarray and disharmony in the clubhouse - and with management - to feel good enough about sticking around.

The Yanks have overspent for lots of players and didn�t win, so let�s take solace that this trend will continue. They�ll have an interesting dilemma in the leadoff hitter department � it�s a nice problem to have, but a dilemma nonetheless. Mind you, they had a similar dilemma with A-Rod, but to his credit, he�s made an incredible transition to 3B. I never doubted he was the MVP this year, despite all of my Papi�s heroics.

No doubt the Sox have lost a lot in Damon � as much off the field as on. For sure, now this is Tek�s team, so there�s still a solid figure to keep this unit functioning. On the plus side, this frees up some salary they can use to sign other players (even though they�re probably still in luxury tax territory). Of course it hurts to get nothing in return for Johnny.

I think the best way to look at this is to say that Damon is past his peak, and maybe the Sox are better off replacing him with a younger player. Life goes on, and the Nation can only hope he�ll be a shadow of his former self when he loses the beard and long hair as per the Boss�s orders. Boston fans are certainly used to losing their franchise players, and we�ll recover sooner or later. I think it will be much later for the Bruins (Thornton) and Celtics (Walker � maybe), but the expectations aren�t as high with these teams right now. So, we�ll miss you Johnny � this will take some time to get over, and we can only hope that the Sox make the right moves in center. We've survived losing guys like Pedro, Nomar, the Rocket, big Mo, and Yankees are still an old team, right?

To look a little deeper into the bright side of things, Kevin Hench of Fox Sports posted a great piece yesterday. I think he�s bang on � it�s a great read.

Oh, I have one parting memory to share of JD. Only a true Nation devotee would see this as an "aha!" moment. During 2004, my son and I were at the SkyDome (it wasn't yet the Rogers Center!) here in Toronto watching the Sox play the Jays. We were sitting out in right center field, and we saw the most bizarre image you could imagine if you believed in the Curse. During a pitching change, JD was standing next to Gabe Kapler chatting away. Gabe was playing right that day. As you know, Damon is #18. Well guess what number Kapler had? ....Right.... 19. With their backs to us the two of them together
were unwittingly flashing the dreaded year, 1918 back to us. How bizarre is that? It sure was a good omen though, since the Curse is no more. Oh, if I only had my Nokia N90 then - that was truly a Nokia moment. I've never seen that alignment of numbers since, and probably won't ever again.


Keeping on the bright side, I�m going to shift gears slightly and go out on a limb � the Patriots will defend their title this year � they will win the Super Bowl. The tide has turned � they are healthier, they�re playing defence and they�re in playoff form now.

My Kind of Convergence - VoIP and the Red Sox

Great cover story in the current issue of VoIP Magazine. It's hard not to miss the cover - a close up shot of a Red Sox cap. Mary Shacklett does a nice job telling how the Red Sox as an organization recently deployed VoIP, shifting from TDM Centrex and mishmash of key systems to a hybrid IP PBX with Avaya. Now I know why there are so many Avaya ads at Fenway Park!

It really is a classic case study of updating an outdated system and linking together home office (Fenway Park) with the branch office (Fort Myers spring training facility). Not surprisingly, WiFi hotspots are coming to Fenway Park now, which is really great. The article only talks about this being for the press box, but I wonder if it's just a matter of time until they make the whole ballpark an open hotspot. That would be cool - the oldest ballpark in the majors having free WiFi.





I should also note that Ronald Gruia has a nice article in this issue on IMS. Ron and I are colleagues from my days at Frost & Sullivan, where he has built up a strong practice and wide following for his coverage.

White is the New Red � Sox Reign is Over

Well, it�s really hard to accept that it�s over, but at least we didn�t lose to the Yankees! Friday�s game was painful to watch, but I have to comment just so I can put it behind me. Don�t worry, this will be my last post about baseball this season � they�re out of it, and my interest has just dropped to zero � I don�t really care now who wins � could very well be the Yankees too � whatever. The Nation grieves, and the what-if season has officially begun.

Up until the 6th inning on Friday, I was still of the firm belief the Red Sox would win the series in 5. Even I can see they don�t have the mojo from last year, but if the chips fell their way, I still think they had a chance to repeat as champs. That said, Game 3 summed up so much about why this was not in the cards. All their shortcomings were exposed, and the baseball gods really evened things out with this series.

- First, Ortiz and Manny did all you could ask for � 3 solo homers, and all their offence. They�ve been carrying the offense all year � just like Ruth and Gehrig � but you need more than that to win � and the Sox got nothing out of everyone else. They win when they hit as a team � just the way Chicago came out smoking in Game 1. But when it�s just a couple of guys producing, they are very beatable. LOB � left on base � has been their Achilles Heel all year. I read they went 4 for 23 with men in scoring position this series � Manny and Papi can hit all the solo homers they want � but you gotta bring the runners home. And somehow, they still managed to lead the league in offense again. Imagine what they could do if they could fix this LOB problem. As a sidebar, despite being such a homer, I say A-Rod is the MVP, not Ortiz. Now that he�s settling in this year with NY, he�s proven in spades that he�s the best overall player in baseball. No way the Yankees are in the post season without him � same for Ortiz/Sox too. But he does it all, no doubt about it. And to think what might have been if the Red Sox got him � and kept Manny. Sure, A Rod/Sheffield/Matsui is an awesome combo, but A Rod/Manny/Ortiz would be out of sight � 3 guys hitting .300 with 40+ homers and 120+ RBIs � that�s fantasy league material, for sure.

- The 6th inning of Game 3. This one will no doubt go down in Sox lore as the most painful half hour ever of going from hope to glee to doubt to despair and then impnding doom. Nobody takes you to the edge and then pulls you back like the Red Sox. How do you go from a thrilling home run by Manny to make it a game again � to loading the bases with none out � to bringing Varitek in to pinch hit � to not even bringing in the tying run, and not even getting a ball out of the infield? El Duque somehow came through. Who knew? They would have had a better chance against Rivera.

- Chicago�s insurance run in the 9th really typified the bullpen woes. Timlin has generally been effective, even as a closer, but he never makes it easy. Sure enough after Papelbon, etc. had held the fort after lifting Wakefield, Timlin comes in and gives up a hit, which soon came to score on some sloppy defence. He�s been a big part of their success this year, but of course when needed the most, something always seems to go wrong.

- That said, while everyone seems to harp on pitching being the big problem, I don�t agree. I think it�s the lack of offense that killed them. Sure, Clement got bombed, and he�s been off his game ever since Crawford�s line drive knocked him out, but he only gave up 5 of those 14 runs. On that day, I don�t think it mattered who was pitching � Chicago was just so pumped up, and everything went their way. That was a one-off thing, but in a 5 game series it carries a lot of weight. Anyhow, the Sox starters pitched well enough to win Games 2 and 3, and with Schilling due for Game 4, there�s every reason to believe they would have tied things up for a Game 5 � if the offense did its thing. Well, it didn�t � 9 runs in 3 games gets you swept, and that�s what happened. At home the Sox normally score 9 runs a game. They had lots of chances to do this, but plain and simple, Chicago�s pitching was the story. Good pitching beats good hitting, right?

- The Bill Buckner Moment. Can you believe how eerily similar Graffanino�s error was in Game 2 to Buckner�s in the 1986 World Series? Scary. Well, the Red Sox have been hurt by poor defence many times this year, although Graffanino is pretty sure-handed. So, it came back to haunt them again, and this one probably cost them the series, even more than Game 3�s 6th inning. They had Chicago � up 4-0 � their only lead of the series. It was looking so good � go back to Fenway with a tie, bailed out yet again by David Wells. Then it all fell apart and before you know it, it�s 5-4. What if, what if?

- Schilling was never a factor in this series. How different is that from last year? The ace, the hero, the savior � he did it all in 2004 � he�s right up there in the Nation with Yaz in �67. The rotation just didn�t work out, and you�d have to wonder � even at less than 100% - how things might have turned out if he got a chance to start.

- Terry Francona was out-managed by Ozzie Guillen. Hats off to Oz � he just made all the right moves at the right time, esp putting his ace in to face Ortiz in the 8th inning of Game 2. Tito is a good manager, but he makes his share of questionable moves. Looks to me like Guillen is the one making all the right moves now, and is picking up where Francona�s magic has worn off.

- Chicago got all the breaks and did all the little things right. This was part of what the Red Sox had going for them last year, like the way Bellhorn�s homer to bury the Yankees was j-u-s-t fair, clanging off the foul pole in right. The White Sox had it all going in this series, esp on defence. Over and over, there were times when the Red Sox looked to be on the verge of getting a big inning going � when one hit would just set the table. They had so many sharply hit balls that last year would have been hits. But this time, Chicago�s fielders made great plays or were in perfect position. Konerko�s diving stab late in the game Friday � I think it was Nixon that he robbed � was a game-saver to me. The little things too � guys on Chicago who didn�t hit a homer or steal a base all year � come through with these in the series. They had the mojo, no doubt about it � just like we did last year.

- The baseball gods always have the last say. You just knew that Renteria would come up in the 9th and make the final, meek out. Just the way he did against his new team last year to end the World Series. No doubt he�ll be wondering how to top that one next year. And of course, it�s only right that just as the Red Sox swept through the 2004 post season a perfect 8-0, they quickly exit going the other way, swept out in 3 games. You could certainly argue they�ve been living on borrowed time with 9 lives � squeaking by Cleveland to make the wild card on the last day of the season. Despite having the same regular season record as the Yankees, NY wins the division yet again. Oy. And then, you have to look at the bigger picture and realize the Red Sox � believe it or not � do not have a monopoly on baseball futility. The city of Chicago owns that title outright � way more than Boston. In fairness, their teams have never been as consistently competitive as the Red Sox, nor have they had a true nemesis like the Yankees to remind them of their second-class status. That said, 1917 and 1908 are the benchmarks for Chicago�s teams, and if you ask me, the White Sox are looking a lot like the 2004 Red Sox. I say it�s their year, which works for me if you go in reverse chronology. The Red Sox updated their 1918 title, and the gods are saying it�s time for Chicago to take care of 1917. Shoeless Joe must be smiling.


So, what does Theo do now? Blow the whole thing up? Maybe. In many ways, despite all the things that went right in 2005, the emperor has no clothes. The rotation and bullpen both need major overhauls and the bench has no depth. There has been less harmony in the clubhouse than last year. A lot of hope is riding on Schilling and Foulke coming back healthy and in winning form. If not, this team is in trouble. I think there will be a lot of changes in the off season, and I think a lot of players know the team has past its peak and it�s time to move on. My prediction is that a number of key players won�t be back � Damon, Millar, Olerud, Ramirez, Arroyo, Wells, Timlin, Miller, Myers. I think they will all move on or be dealt. Yes, Manny. Would hate to see him go, but he�s got his ring, and maybe the Mets will finally pony up to reunite him with Pedro and put him in front of their huge Latin fan base. They've lost big stars like Pedro and the Rocket, and life went on. What they really need are younger, faster hitters and pitchers � guys like Carl Crawford. If there�s any consolation, the Yankees are in no better shape, and they need re-tooling even more. Sure will be interesting to see how their chess game will unfold. Until then, I�ll try to find a way to believe that the Patriots still have some game left and keep at least one 2005 title in the New England trophy case.