Hardball Heaven

Apologies for the extended break. As most working stiffs know, anytime you've got a vacation coming up, the week before (and for that matter, the week after) are pure hell.

I'm currently sunning my ample arse in Bradenton, Florida, inside a gated golf resort enclave that I must say is pretty damn nice. The weather has been positively spectacular, and of course, with our timing and luck, so has the weather back home. Nothing like clicking on Boston.com and seeing the old folks frolicking on the shores of Nantasket Beach. Not that we wish our family and friends back home bad weather, but... I guess we do. But no complaints here whatsoever. Still can't figure out why we live in the Northeast.

Anyway, enough about that. Let's catch up a little on the sporting scene, beginning with today's solid debut - albeit a wasted one - by Sox rookie pitcher Justin Masterson. The kid threw a gem against a very good team, but, as has been the trend so far this season, the lead eroded when the middle relievers (hello, Javy Lopez and Manny Delcarmen) answered the call. In the end, Masterson goes six, gives up two hits, one run, walks four, and K's four - and gets nothing to show for it. 'Twill be interesting to see what his immediate future holds. Probably heading back down route 95 to Pawtucket. In the end, the Angels take two of three from the Sox at Fenway, with a caveat that we had to skip Beckett and Dice-K, and didn't have Jason Varitek - all because of a rampaging flu bug.

Turning to hoops, the Celtics have sprinted to a somewhat easy 2-0 lead over the Atlanta Hawks in their first-round series. No surprise there. The big story has been Hawks' guard/idiot Mike Bibby, who called out C's fans this week as being bandwagon jumpers. Whatever, Mike. That bandwagon is currently leaving treadmarks on your ass.

We all know how the Bruins-Habs series ended, and while it was a disappointing finale, you have to give the B's credit for making the Canadiens work for it. The 5-4 win in Game 6 will go down as one of the great ones. And it hurts a bit to wonder what the injured Patrice Bergeron would have brought to the table.

As for the local pro football entry, the NFL Draft - quite possibly the most overrated, overhyped sporting "event" of the year - is happening this weekend. Drink every time you see or hear Mel Kiper and Todd McShay, and you'll be passed out within a half-hour. Pats currently have the 7th pick, and I'm not even going to project who they might get. Let's just say probably someone pretty good.

Provided, that is, that commish Roger Goodell doesn't dock them yet another pick. News broke yesterday - and ESPN was ALL OVER IT don't ya know - that the league had finally reached an agreement with scumbag Matt Walsh to see what kind of evidence he has. He'll be meeting with Goodell on May 13. Let's get it over with. Even if Walsh has new, incriminating evidence, good luck proving that Coach B sanctioned it. There's nothing he can produce that will take anything away from what the Patriots have accomplished - and will continue to accomplish - this decade. They have the softest schedule in the league in 2009 and could easily go undefeated again and be right back where they were. If they do, they ain't losing this time.

And finally... why do I have a picture of the SNL Cowbell skit up there? Well, I'm heading over to Tropicana Field tomorrow night to see the Sox play the Rays. And it just so happens that the Rays are giving all fans who enter the park with some sort of Rays' gear on a cowbell. See, they want them to ring the cowbell every time a Sox batter has two strikes on him. But they forgot something kind of important - 60% of the fans will be Red Sox fans, who may just use the giveaway against the home team. Either way, I'll have a game recap for you Friday night after the festivities.