Written by Steve Hofstetter, Adam Hofstetter, Cody Marley, Ryan Murphy, Elliot Steingart, and Chris Strait

Major League Baseball has set an attendance record for the fourth straight season. But the old attendance record was set by fans who trained naturally.

Barry Bonds made his last appearance as a San Francisco Giant. Wherever he ends up next year, you will still be able to see his head from San Francisco.

David Beckham returned to Britain after his father suffered a near-fatal heart attack. Man, that whole family will fake injury to avoid showing up to work.

A cheating scandal has ensnared 23 student-athletes at Florida State. The news shocked many who didn’t realize the university still offered classes.

Notre Dame football is so bad that this week, they lost to the Mets.

The New York Giants set a team record by sacking Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb 12 times. McNabb spent more time on his back than Paris Hilton.

Due to the distraction, NFL cheerleaders are no longer allowed to stretch in front of any player except Jeff Garcia. Tom Brady must also stop impregnating them.

This far into the season and St. Louis Rams defensive end Leonard Little has no sacks or murders.

And Pat Bertoletti inhaled 21 pounds of grits in 10 minutes to win $4,000 in the World Grits Eating Championship. Bertoletti will be using the money toward his next triple bypass.

For more of the Sports Minute (Or So), visit minuteorso.com

In case you haven’t heard, Frank Caliendo has a new TV show coming on TBS called Frank TV. And if you hadn’t heard I guess you haven’t been watching the ALDS or NLDS on TBS. If they keep playing the ads twice each commercial break, they are sure to turn off people. I know I am already sick of those pesky ads. How bout you?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElWNFgMqGuE[/youtube]

I’ll bet you thought after the Red Sox clinched the AL East and got their collective freak on at Fenway Park, that this was the end of the celebration. Well, this is not the case as the Red Sox took over a local establishment in Boston and partied like rock stars.

For those of you haven’t seen the Jonathan Papelbon’s version of the Irish Jig, watch the video below. If you want to see the photos of the celebration at the bar, click here.

[Hat tip to Deadspin for the link]

[Video courtesy of the sweet and sexy Texy from Center Field]

An absolutely amazing pitching performance by Josh Beckett last night. Whatever he threw seemed to find the strike zone. The complete game shutout was his second in a row in the playoffs as he threw one in 2003 to beat the Yankees to win the World Series. Is it a little early to anoint him “Mr. October” yet? It might be, but a few more starts like that and you can call him that. Big Papi was his usual clutch self as his two-run homer broke the back of the Angels. Youk had gotten the Sox started with a solo homer. This special night was all about Beckett and his special pitching performance. While the Red Sox and Angels take the day off today, let’s take a look at the headlines from the Boston and Los Angeles area media on the first full day of President RemDawg in office.

Something I’ll never forget [Yooooouuuuukkkkk]

Sox in complete control from the start [Boston Globe]

Beckett backs it up [LA Times]

Sox usher in October [Boston Herald]

Anaheim falls to the Red Sox thanks to a stellar performance from Josh Beckett. [The Orange County Register]

Beckett Outstanding [Hartford Courant]

Drawing blanks in Boston [LA Daily News]

Beckett could go down as one of the October greats [Pro Jo]

Ace in their face [LA Times]

Pitcher perfect? Almost [Boston Globe]

Angels young lineup struggles vs. Beckett [The Orange County Register]

Dice-K prepares for brightest spotlight [Boston Herald]

Red Sox’s Beckett almost perfect against Angels [LA Daily News]

Red Sox Get Lineup In Order [Hartford Courant]

Youkilis got the Sox going [Pro Jo]

For more headlines and stories, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Providence Journal, Hartford Courant, LA Times, The Orange County Register and LA Daily News websites.

The Red Sox finally used their “A” lineup in last night’s ALDS opener.

Mike Napoli got the nod behind the plate for the Angels in Game 1 instead of Jeff Mathis.

Phillies starter Cole Hamels had a slight wardrobe malfunction in Game 1 of the NLDS.

Seth Smith had eye surgery which has helped him see the ball better and allowed him to make the Rockies postseason roster.

Yankees skipper Joe Torre is ready for the postseason despite not knowing his future in the Big Apple.

The Indians are counting on the duo of Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner in the playoffs.

Geovany Soto got the start behind the plate for the Cubs instead of Jason Kendall.

Diamondbacks skipper Bob Melvin decided to go with 11 pitchers in the NLDS.

Memphis lineman Taylor Bradford was shot and killed on Sunday night on the Tigers’ campus. There is no suspect in the case right now. On Tuesday night, the Tigers’ honored him with a moment of silence before their game with Marshall. They later won the game 24-21. They will wear black patches bearing his number 93 for the remainder of the season.

A UMASS football player was stabbed in the ass as a fight broke out when he was leaving a dance at the Student Union on the Amherst campus. The police are still investigating this as well.

There has been a lot of news this year about college athletes getting arrested. It makes me wonder if they think they are invincible like NFL athletes.

Three Florida Gators football players and former Gator Reggie Nelson, a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, were questioned by police about a shooting that happened outside a Gainesville night club on Saturday night. The Gators had lost earlier in the day to the Auburn Tigers. The names of the Gators players involved was not released to the media.

Tennessee linebacker Dorian Davis received a citation from police in Iowa for his role in an altercation. The Volunteers were off last weekend so Davis had gone home. Davis has to return in November for a court date. More than likely he will end up pleading guilty and paying a small fine.

Mitch Cozad, the former Northern Colorado punter who stabbed his competition, was finally sentenced for the stabbing. He received a 7-year prison term. He could have gotten 16 years for the assault. He will now be the punter for the prison football team.

The Rock has donated $1 million to the University of Miami’s football facilites renovation fund and will have the locker room named after him. The Rock played football at the U and was beaten out by Warren Sapp for a starting spot on the d-line during his playing career.

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Do you think someone hit a wrong button when they submitted this photo in? I sure as heck think so.

Click on photo to see it full-size.

The person in the picture is Texas Longhorn’s QB Colt McCoy. That is certainly not Kevin Youkilis rounding bases. Some really good editing over at Yahoo! Photos. Nottttttttttt.

[Yahoo Photos]

The post season does something to certain guys. Reggie Jackson had it. Catfish Hunter and Bob Gibson had it too. The players of today have their own post season heroes. David Ortiz, Derek Jeter and Curt Schilling have it.

So does Josh Beckett.

In an absolutely dominating complete game performance Beckett held the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in check in leading the Boston Red Sox to a 4-0 shut out in Game One of the American League Division Series on Wednesday night.

Beckett threw a four hit compete game shut out, walking no one and striking out eight. For Beckett, who has just four regular season complete games in his career, it was his third career post season complete game shut out.

In his first playoff start since 2003, when he led the Florida Marlins to their second World Series title in 7 seasons, Beckett got staked to an early 1-0 thanks to the bat of Kevin Youkilis. With one out in the bottom of first inning Youkilis took Angels starter John Lackey deep into the Monster Seats in left centerfield for the quick lead. David Ortiz singled to left and Manny Ramirez smoked a ball off of Maicer Izturis’ glove for an infield hit and the Sox were threatening for more. This brought Los Angeles pitching coach Mike Butcher out for a visit to calm Lackey and give Izturis a chance to find his hand. Lackey was able to settle down and get Mike Lowell to foul out and JD Drew bounced out to third to get off the hook.

The Sox came back at Lackey in the bottom of the second as Jason Varitek singled to right but Coco Crisp hit into a 4-3 double play. Julio Lugo singled to right on a 2-1 pitch with two out but ended up getting erased at second on a steal attempt with Dustin Pedroia at the plate to end the inning. Replays showed that second base umpire Brian Runge missed the call, as Orlando Cabrera didn’t get the glove on Lugo.

Beckett, meanwhile was just mowing his way through the Los Angeles line up, after a 1^st inning lead off single by Chone Figgins he set down the next 9 Angels in-a-row, two of them (Garrett Anderson and Figgins) coming via the strike out and was working on being dominate.

In the third the Red Sox would pad their lead once again with Youkilis in the mix. With one out, Youkilis doubled down the line in left for his 2^nd hit of the night. He came around to score when Ortiz’ second hit of the night ended up in the right field seats near the Pesky Pole for a 2 run home run and a 3-0 lead. Ramirez walked, got to second on a wild pitch and scored when Lowell singled to center and it was 4-0 Boston. But Drew would ground into a 4-6-3 twin killing and Lackey escaped without further damage.

Both pitchers would cruise through the fourth inning, both had bookend strikeouts in their half inning. Beckett whiffed Cabrera and got Anderson for the second time while getting Vladimir Guerrero to ground out. It was the 12^th Angel in a row that Beckett had set down. Lackey would set down Varitek and Lugo via the K and Crisp on a pop out and have a quick 1-2-3 inning himself.

It was now starting to turn into a pitchers game as we went into the 5th. Beckett worked another 1-2-3 inning in the fifth with another whiff, this one of Casey Kotchman, while Lackey had a pair of strikeouts. These at the expense of Youkilis and Ramirez, he also worked in a ground out by Pedroia and a two out walk to Ortiz.

Beckett retired 19 Angels in-a-row before Guerrero singled to left with one out in the 7^th to break the streak. Beckett then retired Anderson on a pop out and Izturis on a fielder’s choice and went to the dug out leading 4-0 after 6 and half.

Lackey was replaced by Ervin Santana in the 7^th and he would retire all 6 batter he faced in two innings of work. It included a pair of strikeouts of Lugo and Pedroia. Lackey (0-1) went 6 innings gave up 4 runs all earned on 9 hits, walked two and struck out four.

Beckett (1-0) hit a little skid in the eighth with one out he gave up a single to Howie Kendrick, pinch hitter Erick Aybar hit into a fielder’s choice to erase Kendrick. Beckett then bore down and finished the inning with his 8^th strikeout, this one of pinch hitter Kendry Morales, on his 101^st pitch. He walked off to a thunderous applause of the Fenway faithful and deservedly so.

Beckett returned for the ninth and Figgins was the first out when Jacoby Ellsbury, just in the game as a defensive replacement for Ramirez, made a nice sliding catch. Cabrera grounded out to Lowell and Guerrero momentarily silenced the Fenway crowd with his second hit, a single to center, but they would rise again when Anderson flew out to Crisp to end the game.

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All Hail The New Leader of Red Sox Nation, RemDawg.

Interim President of Red Sox Nation Jerry Remy won the election for President of Red Sox Nation that was held over the weekend. RemDawg won in a landslide as he finished with 25,000 more votes than the runner-up, “Regular” Rob Crawford.

Sox Space founder Jared Carrabis finished third, Cheryl Boyd fourth and Cindy Brown finished fifth. Also receiving votes were Sam Horn and Peter Gammons as well as “El Guapo” Rich Garces.

RemDawg had said during the debate that his Vice President would be the runner-up in the election. He also stated during the debate that whomever was his VP would receive the perks scheduled for the President.

RemDawg will be throwing out a ceremonial first pitch before tonight’s game. Congratulations on winning the first election to be President of Red Sox Nation.

Here are the starting line ups for Game 1 of the ALDS between the Los Angeles Angels and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

ANGELS

• Chone Figgins, RF
• Orlando Cabrera, SS
• Vladimir Guerrero, DH
• Garrett Anderson, LF
• Maicer Izturis, 3B
• Casey Kotchman, 1B
• Howie Kendrick, 2B
• Mike Napoli, C
• Reggie Willits, CF

John Lackey, P

RED SOX

• Dustin Pedroia, 2B
• Kevin Youkilis, 1B
• David Ortiz, DH
• Manny Ramirez, LF
• Mike Lowell, 3B
• JD Drew, RF
• Jason Varitek, C
• Coco Crisp, CF
• Julio Lugo, SS

Josh Beckett, P