Nothing exciting going on this Christmas morning as far as the Red Sox are concerned. Ian Browne from MLB.com conducted a couple of interviews with Jacoby Ellsbury and Red Sox radio broadcaster Joe Castiglione about their thoughts on the holiday season among other things.

Here are excerpts from both.

MLB.com: Given what just happened to you on the baseball field, winning the World Series with the Red Sox and playing such a big role, does that make this Christmas and this holiday season even more enjoyable for you than normal?

Ellsbury: Yeah, everybody is excited. My family is very proud and excited. It’s just been fun, them sharing the moment and the memories with me. They were in Boston for the World Series and in Colorado, and for my birthday in September. It’s been a memorable year. This time of year, you can kind of reflect back on what happened throughout the course of the year — not only myself, but the rest of the family. We have some great memories of 2007.

MLB.com: It had to mean a lot to you, not just winning the World Series, but breaking into the Major Leagues earlier than you could have expected. How memorable was this year as a whole?

Ellsbury: Very memorable, just the way I started off in Double-A, then went to Triple-A and got the first callup before the All-Star break, then being a September callup and being put on the postseason roster — just the whole year, just kind of how everything unfolded. I couldn’t be more grateful than to see what’s happened on the baseball field and now to be able to enjoy it all with my family.

MLB.com: You’re coming off a great year professionally. The Red Sox just won the World Series — again. Does that make this holiday season even more enjoyable?

Castiglione: I think so. You still pinch yourself that we won again, the second time in four years. It’s really different than the first time in some ways. Not that it’s any less exciting. It’s like comparing your kids. You really can’t compare. The first one was more about the miracle and ending curses and winning it for people no longer with us. This year was about being the best ballclub. It was really a wire-to-wire season. It really is special to go into this time of year knowing that you won it all because I certainly remember ’86 and ’03 and others. Not that you think about baseball constantly during the holidays, but it adds a nice twist to it when you’ve won it all.

MLB.com: What does it mean to you to be the only Red Sox broadcaster to ever be at the mic when the team has won the World Series? You’ve now done it twice, and nobody else can even say they’ve done it once.

Castiglione: It’s just a feeling of how blessed I am of being able to be in that position. I’ve never dreamed about it. I thought about winning it all once, but I never thought about being the first to call the last out. I remember in 1986, I did the top of the 10th of Game 6 against the Mets and I said to Ken Coleman, ‘Do you want me to do the bottom of the 10th or go to the clubhouse?’ He said, ‘It’s up to you.’ I thought after 20 years, he should call the last out. Plus, I wanted to be down there. But we all know what happened. Yeah, it is amazing. I’ve been in that position at the right place at the right time. I know a lot of great broadcasters who have never had the chance.

[Q&A With Jacoby Ellsbury]

[Q&A with Joe Castiglione]

The Red Sox and Yankees got a nice Christmas gift from MLB as they were both hit with bills for the luxury tax that was established back in 2003.

The Red Sox were given a $6.06 million bill while the Yankees were handed a $23.88 million bill. This was the fifth straight year the Yankees have had to pay the tax, all totaled to a tune of $121.6 million. How many World Championships has it bought them? Zero, zip, zilch, nada.

This was the Red Sox fourth straight season paying the MLB tax man but they have only had to pay $13.86 million over that time. How many championships has it bought? Two, one in 2004 and one last season (2007).

The Red Sox 2007 salaries were listed at $163.1 million while the Yankees were at $207.7 million. The cap last year was $155 million. Since they were both over for at least the 4th time, they were taxed at 40% of the amount over the limit.

Only three teams in the history of the luxury tax have had to pay, the Red Sox, Yankees and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim back in 2004.

Bud wants the money to him by January 31, 2008.

Time for another round:

The Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent outfielder So Taguchi to a one-year contract. The 38-year old who led all National League pinch-hitters with a .406 average had played for the St. Louis Cardinals for five seasons and played in two World Series.

The Phils also added former Detroit pitcher Chad Durbin who signed a one-year deal and former Milwaukee outfielder Geoff Jenkins who inked a two-year pact.

The Seattle Mariners one year after not wanting to give Gil Meche $55 million over five years pony up $50 over 4 seasons for Carlos Silva. Something tells me Josh Beckett is severely underpaid.

The Texas Rangers and the Cincinnati Reds made a trade that gives the Rangers some more outfield help and the Reds much needed pitching. Cincinnati sent 2007 feel good story Josh Hamilton to Texas for one of the Rangers top pitching prospects Edinson Volquez and a secondary player pitcher Danny Herrera.

The Rangers in an effort to revamp their lineup also got first baseman Ben Broussard from Seattle for some minor leaguers.

The Rangers had been interested in Phillies starter Freddy Garcia but have back away from the deal. They remain interested in the Angels Bartolo Colon and Houston’s Jason Jennings. The New York Mets have apparently expressed some interest in Garcia.

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David Ortiz was at the Patriots game on Sunday along with Curt Schilling, Kevin Youkilis and John Henry and they brought along the World Series trophies as they were honored before the game.

Johan Santana and Ortiz were teammates since the 2000 season back in Minnesota and remain good friends to this day. Ortiz came over to the Red Sox after he was released by the Twins around Christmas time in 2002. The Sox snatched him up in January 2003.

During the game, Big Papi was asked about his good buddy, Johan Santana, and the prospects of him being traded to Boston.

“No,” Ortiz said when asked if he thought his good friend, Santana, would be traded to the Red Sox. “I was (following it) for a minute, but I guess they stopped. They don’t want him to go. (Minnesota) already gave Boston too many good things already. Me, and now Santana? No way.”

“Hell yeah,” Ortiz said when asked if he was excited at the prospect of calling Santana a teammate again. “What do you think? That’s a whole lot less trouble for me.”

It wasn’t big trouble for him back in 2006 during the WBC when he homered off his pal.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcGHBADHvB4[/youtube]

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2nd year point guard Rajon Rondo led the Boston Celtics to their NBA best 22nd win of the year as they beat the Orlando Magic 103-91 Sunday night in front of 18,624 at the TD BankNorth Garden.

Rondo, the former Kentucky Wildcat, matched his career high with 23 points. He also had 4 steals, 4 rebounds and 6 assists. Paul Pierce had 24 points and Kevin Garnett had 21 to go along with 12 boards and Ray Allen, the final member of the Parquet Posse, added 22 points as the Celtics had four players with 20 points or more for the first time in 8 years.

The Celtics led by as many as 20 points in the game but twice the Magic, who are one of the teams to beat the Green this season, cut the Boston lead to 10 in the final quarter.

Orlando was paced by Dwight Howard, who had 23 points and 14 boards, Hedo Turkoglu, who had 19 points, and Rashard Lewis who chipped in with 15 points. The loss was Orlando’s 7th in the last 9 games.

The Celtics will leave for a four game western trip that starts the day after Christmas. Wednesday they play the Kings in Sacramento then face the Seattle SuperSonics on Thursday, the Utah Jazz on Saturday and finish up in LA against the Lakers on Sunday night.

The Result

Even though the New England Patriots won 28-7 it was a tale of two halves. In the first half the New England Patriots dominated and jumped out to a 28-0 half time lead on 3 Tom Brady touchdown passes, two to Randy Moss and one to Jabar Gaffney and a 59-yard run for a score by Laurence Maroney. The Patriots had 4 scores on 5 drives and one kneel down just before the half. The defense played well and they were rolling. Even CBS put up a graphic saying they had outscored Miami 70-7 in the first half this season.

The Dolphins just looked awful with a bunch of three and outs and other drives that went nowhere and they even got stopped on downs in the red zone.Then in the second half it appeared as though the Patriots offense didn’t give a damn and gave up. It was the first half in a game this year that they didn’t score a point, they were anemic. Brady threw a pair of interceptions and fumbled once and the whole offense except for Laurence Maroney just went into a funk. It almost appeared as if they were trying much too hard to help Brady and Moss set or tie the TD pass and reception records.

If it wasn’t for the defense, who still had some chinks, and a poor opponent they very possibly could have lost the game or been in a dogfight. I’m not sure if it’s the physical strain of the season getting them or the mental drain of an undefeated, perfect season. Either way this team needs to get its collective head out of its collective ass so they can be clicking on all cylinders come playoff time. It won’t do them any good to run the table in the regular season and not finish holding the Lombardi Trophy at season’s end.

Scoring Plays

1st Quarter

• NE – Brady 11 yard pass to Moss – kick good – Patriots 7-0

2nd Quarter

• NE – Brady 1 yard pass to Moss – kick good – Patriots 14-0
• NE- Maroney 59 yard run – kick good – Patriots 21-0
• NE – Brady 48 yard pass to Gaffney – kick good – Patriots 28-0

3rd Quarter

• MIA – Lemon 21 yard pass to Camarillo – kick good – Patriots 28-7

4th Quarter

• None

Offensive Player of the Game

Patriots running back Laurence Maroney had a career high 156 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown. He also set his career long twice first with a 51 yard carry and then again on the 59 yard touchdown run.

Defensive Player of the Game

Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi had 7 tackles and 2 assists.

Turning Point(s) of the Game

Third down conversion pass to Jabar Gaffney on opening drive for 1st down at MIA 18.

Laurence Maroney’s 51 yard run to get the ball deep into MIA territory and set up the second TD.

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Here’s a look at the always-convoluted NFL Playoff picture.

In the AFC the New England Patriots have clinched AFC East, the top seed and home field advantage. They will have a first round bye along with the Indianapolis Colts who have clinched the AFC South and #2 seed in the conference.

The San Diego Chargers have clinched the AFC West, the Pittsburgh Steelers can clinch the AFC North with a loss by the Cleveland Browns to Cincinnati today. The Steelers will be in the playoffs if Tennessee loses or ties.

The Cleveland Browns can clinch a playoff berth with win or Tennessee Titans loss or Cleveland tie and Tennessee tie. The Jacksonville Jaguars can clinch a playoff berth with win or tie or Tennessee Titans loss or tie or Cleveland Browns loss.

Tennessee needs a bunch of help that right now is so far fetched it’s not worth getting into.

Everyone else in the conference has been eliminated.

In the NFC Dallas has clinched the NFC East and a first round bye and can clinch home field advantage with a Green Bay loss to Chicago. The Packers have clinched the NFC North and a first round bye.

The Seattle Seahawks have won the NFC West and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have clinched the NFC South.

The New York Giants can clinch a playoff berth with a win or tie or Washington Redskins loss or tie or New Orleans Saints loss or tie. The Minnesota Vikings can clinch a playoff berth with a win and a New Orleans Saints loss or a tie.

Washington and New Orleans are still alive but need some help, much like Tennessee in the AFC.

Everyone else in the conference has been eliminated.

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At least this time, we are hearing it straight from Roger Clemens himself.

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Thank you Stanford for beating the evil bitch and her band of orange clad minions.  It was a battle between two good players, Tennessee’s Candace Parker and Stanford’s Candice Wiggins, and two storied programs.  But most of all it will give the UConn women the Number 1 ranking for the first time since February 23, 2004.  To put that in perspective it is the season before this years seniors joined the program.  So this will be the first number one ranking since Diana Taurasi graduated.

To quote Stanford head coach Tara VanDeveer:

“Today Candice is spelled with an ‘i’.”

If your a Dolphins fan look out ESPN’s Chris Mortensen is making predictions and he says don’t be surprised to see Chad Pennington in Miami next year because Bill Parcells drafted him.  Using that flawed logic I suppose you might also see Rodney Hampton in the backfield too.  The only saving grace for Miami fans is Mort has been correct only about 4% of the time this year.

I found this online earlier today on the Southern Miss-Cincinnati Bowl Game from yesterday:

“….I had dinner with my dad tonight.  He asked, ‘who was that lead announcer…HE was awful’.  I tried for a 1/2 hour, but I could not convince him that “HE” was a woman.  Pam Ward is simply dreadful”.