“You want to know what I really felt? It was disgusting. What does he think?” Stringer said. “This was a woman first. He has no right to put her down, and then think it’s ok for me to put her down but it’s not alright for a white man to put her down. What are you talking about? She is a human being and as a female, and in particular as a black female, I took tremendous offense to that”.

Those are words of Rutgers women’s basketball head coach C. Vivian Stringer who weighed in on the Isaiah Thomas sexual harassment trial. Thomas and his employer, MSG, were found to have created a hostile work environment and had a large financial judgement handed down against them with MSG having to pay the entire amount of damages.

While I totally agree that sexual harassment has no business in the work place since when is C. Vivian Stringer the moral compass for America? Because her Rutgers team was called a “bunch of nappy headed ho’s” by former WFAN morning man Don Imus every time something like this happens and gains notoriety the media, local and/or national is going to run to Stringer for comment?

Do us all a favor and leave Stringer and Rutgers women out of it. They’ve dealt with enough they don’t need to be America’s expert witnesses too. On the other side, Stringer should have said, “”I have no comment it doesn’t concern me or my team”. But for some reason she feels the need for the limelight. Maybe it comes from being in the shadows of UConn’s Geno Auriemma and Tennessee’s Pat Summitt and she feels she’ll take any publicity she can get. You know they say “any publicity is good publicity” but the athletic director or the president at Rutgers need to grow some stones and tell her enough is enough. You had your say when it concerned your team and our university but now is the time to keep quiet and coach basketball.

The entire interview conducted by Doris Burke can be seen next week on ESPN’s E:60.

Last night during last night’s Game 2 of the World Series, Jonathan Papelbon broke down the moves to his Irish Jig.

And I know by now, you have seen the videos but here they are again for you to enjoy.

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

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This Week

The New England Patriots host the Washington Redskins in an interconference match up on Sunday afternoon at 4:15 p.m. at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro MA. The Patriots are 3-0 at home and 1-0 against the NFC this season. The Redskins are 1-1 on the road and 1-0 against the AFC.

Here are the rosters for the Redskins and Patriots.

The Line/Prediction

As of Thursday the line on the game from Yahoo Sports is Patriots -16.5. The over/under is 47.5.

My prediction is Patriots 41, Redskins, 14. Give the points and take the over. I am 7-0 against the spread and have called the over/under six out of seven times.

Tickets

The game is reported as a sell out.

Tickets to the game, if available, may be purchased through Ticketmaster. You can check ticket availability here. Many times tickets are released in the last 48 hours prior to the game.

Getting To The Game

If you’re lucky enough to be going to the game make sure you check out the links.

Here is the up to date weather forecast for the game from the American Weather Service.

Click for stadium directions, parking information, parking map, specific MBTA train times for this game and a Gillette Stadium seating chart.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Television

FOX is televising the game, it is a regional broadcast. The play-by-play duties will be handled Kenny Albert with Troy Aikman doing game analysis. You can check here to see if you are getting the game from FOX and look for your local FOX Station.

Radio

The Patriots Rock Radio Network broadcasts the game from flagship station WBCN-FM 104.1 in Boston. Gil Santos handles the play-by-play and former Patriot Gino Cappelletti does the color.It all starts with Gary Tanguay, Scott Zolak and Andy Gresch and the pregame show at 1 p.m. along the network.

The post game starts after the final gun and continues for three hours.

Check this out for the low down on the Patriots Rock Radio Network and stations in your area.

If you are outside of the broadcast area of the stations on the Patriots Rock Radio Network you can purchase NFL Field Pass which allows you to listen to any NFL game live. You can also pick which teams broadcasters you want to listen to.

All NFL games are also available on Sirius Satellite Radio. The Patriots radio call is available on Channel 130, the Redskins radio call is available on Channel 107.

The game will also be broadcast nationally by Sports USA Radio Network. Eli Gold will call the play-by-play and Tim Pernetti will handle the analyis of the game.

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In the postseason, great pitching usually will win you a ballgame. Last night, the Red Sox got that exactly. A strong outing by Curt Schilling and spectacular work from Hidkei Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon out of the bullpen kept the score the same. The Rockies bullpen was equal to the task last night but their offense couldn’t do anything against the Sox pitching. The Sox now head to Denver up 2 games in this best of 7 series. So while you’re enjoying the last day of the work week for many, check out the headlines from the Denver and Boston area media along with the thoughts of Kevin Youkilis.

Keeping a good thing going [Yooooouuuuukkkkk]

Sky is the limit [Boston Globe]

Sox can play grind-it-out baseball [Denver Post]

Fresh Okie a big factor [Boston Herald]

Rockies have remembered how to lose [Rocky Mountain News]

First Pickoff Comes At Right Time [Hartford Courant]

Sox’ Okajima plays his role to perfection [Pro Jo]

Daughter’s illness gives Hurdle perspective [Boston Globe]

Apodaca marvels at Sox [Denver Post]

In Pedroia family, mom certainly knows best [Boston Herald]

Rocks need big shakeup — and fast [Rocky Mountain News]

Lowell Thinking About Now [Hartford Courant]

Playing by the numbers puts Sox on top [Pro Jo]

For more headlines and stories, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Hartford Courant, Providence Journal, Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News websites.

Last night, Beckett’s pitching and the offense was the story of the game. Tonight, it was all about the pitching. Curt Schilling gave the Red Sox 5â…“ strong innings and the combination of Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon finished it off giving the Red Sox a 2-1 victory in Game 2 of the World Series. The Sox now head to Denver with a 2-0 lead, with the next three games in Denver. The third game is an if necessary game right now with the Sox having the 2-0 lead.

Wily Taveras led off the 1^st for the Rox tonight and was grazed with a Schilling fastball for a hit-by-pitch. Schilling then got the struggling Kaz Matsui to fly out to Jacoby Ellsbury in center for the first out. With Taveras running on the pitch, Matt Holliday hit a shot down the third base line that Mike Lowell got a glove on. Schilling was late covering the bag and Lowell’s throw went by Schilling allowing Holliday to get to second on the error by Lowell. Todd Helton gave the Rox a 1-0 lead as he grounded out to Kevin Youkilis at first. Schilling got out of the first with a ground out by Garrett Atkins.

The Sox got their first look at Ubaldo Jiménez and went down very quietly in the bottom of the 1^st. Jiménez got fly ball outs off the bats of Dustin Pedroia and Youkilis. He finished the inning by getting David Ortiz to ground out.

Brad Hawpe, who struck out four times last night, started things off in the 2^nd with a lead-off single. Schilling got his first strikeout of the night by way of National League Rookie of the Year candidate, Troy Tulowitzki. The inning ended as Yorvit Torrealba grounded into a 6-3 double play.

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Last night was a night that I will never forget. Did it physically kill me? In the end, yes as I am still exhausted and my back is in shambles but in the grand scheme of things, it was well worth it.

After numerous stops on the way to Riverside Station just off the Mass Pike and 95, I ran into someone who had been up at Fenway but wasn’t fortunate to have tickets. He had all sorts of stuff that they were giving away on the street plus the official World Series program. A $15 expenditure which I made on the way back after the game. I then made way to the T where I had to inquire when the last T was going to run. The person there said that the last T was at 12 midnight but would run for an hour after the Red Sox game.

After getting off the T, it is a short walk to the Fenway Park area. As you started to get close to the ballpark, you could just feel the excitement. As soon as you got to Yawkey Way, the sounds of a normal Red Sox game were there, “Programs here, Get your scorecard, fresh hot sausages, etc”. While waiting for Texy to arrive, I made a walk around the ballpark.

My first destination was to head down the player’s parking lot where a large crowd had already gathered. You could feel something was special in the Fenway Park air. As I walked down Yawkey Way, which was not closed off at this point, those familiar sounds echoed as long as a lot of familiar faces from the national media. As I was walking, I almost bumped into Jim Caple from ESPN and his camera man. He’s definitely as short as he has looked in any of the video pieces he’s done for ESPN. Just before the player’s parking entrance was the media gate, where all the media was entering. At this point, I didn’t see too many I recognized but instead just took in the whole atmosphere. I made a way a little further down to the player’s lot where I saw J.D. Drew drive his green Hummer into the parking lot. As soon as he went in, I decided I needed to check out the rest of the happenings.

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Here are your starting lineups for tonight’s Game 2 of the World Series between the Colorado Rockies and the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox flip-flopped Drew and Varitek tonight as well as Ellsbury and Lugo.

Rockies

1. Wily Tavaras, CF
2. Kaz Matsui, 2B
3. Matt Holliday, LF
4. Todd Helton, 1B
5. Garrett Atkins, 3B
6. Brad Hawpe, RF
7. Troy Tulowitzki, SS
8. Yorvit Torrealba, C
9. Ryan Spilborghs, DH

Ubaldo Jimenez P

Red Sox

1. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
2. Kevin Youkilis, 3B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Manny Ramirez, LF
5. Mike Lowell, 3B
6. J.D. Drew RF
7. Jason Varitek, C
8. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
9. Julio Lugo SS

Curt Schilling P

Here is a look how the teams have fared against tonight’s starting pitchers in their careers.

The only Red Sox player to face Jiménez was Lugo and he is 1 for 1 against him.

Lineups courtesy of Amalie Benjamin from the Boston Globe.

Batter/Pitcher numbers courtesy of the Red Sox game notes.

Let me preface this by saying that I do apologize for the lateness of this post. I didn’t arrive home until 3 AM and my parents’ neurotic dog whom I love dearly decided he wanted to go out at 3:30. So needless to say, it was a long day and night.

The crowd was electric last night. From announcing the starting lineups all the way to Eric Gagné’s last pitch, it was pretty loud. You could sense it was going to be a special night when Josh Beckett mowed down the first 3 Rockies batters and then Dustin Pedroia leads off the bottom of the first with a home run. From there, you knew it was going to be all Sox and it was. A record-breaking night as a matter of fact. It ended up being a 13-1 shellacking of the Rockies.

One thing you need to remember is this is a 7-game series. And yes I know the Red Sox are clicking on all cylinders right now and could make this a short series. Honestly, I’d love that if it happened. I just wanted to remind people that there is a reason why the play 7 games, just look back to the ALCS.

Do I think the layoff for the Rockies hurt them last night? I am sure it did. It’s totally different facing live pitching in game conditions then it is trying to simulate games. Even though you’re taking batting practice, your timing still may go.

Moving forward on this chilly Soxtober morning, let’s take a look the headlines from the Boston area and Denver media plus Kevin Youkilis.

Gaining momentum [Yooooouuuuukkkkk]

Roberts may not be able to pitch in [Boston Globe]

Boston tee-off party [Denver Post]

Beckett’s bulletproof [Boston Herald]

Boston Massacre: Rockies appear lost in 13-1 defeat to Red Sox [Rocky Mountain News]

The Good, The Bad And Impossible [Hartford Courant]

Sox send the Rockies emphatic message [Pro Jo]

Ringing endorsements for Lester and Snyder [Boston Globe]

Red Sox have too much sock [Denver Post]

Pedroia, Youkilis cleaning up at the plate [Boston Herald]

Helton’s first Series shot turns torturous [Rocky Mountain News]

Pedroia, Youkilis Give Sox 1-2 Punch [Hartford Courant]

Two-out hits made it all too easy for Sox [Pro Jo]

For more headlines and stories, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Hartford Courant, Providence Journal, Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News websites.

What adjectives can use to describe the pitching of Josh Beckett? Exceptional, dominant, overpowering, masterful, precise. What ever words you choose it just doesn’t convey what you just saw. In a jaw dropping performance the AL Cy Young Award candidate was everyone of those adjectives and more as he destroyed hitter after hitter in the Colorado line up as the Boston Red Sox rolled to a 13-1 win to take a 1-0 series lead. Beckett went 7 innings giving up 1 earned run on 6 hits with 1 walk and striking out 9 while improving to 6-2 in the post season for his career.

As good as Beckett was the Red Sox lineup was just as good as 8 of the 9 starters had at least one hit, one run scored and one RBI on their way to tying a World Series record for extra base hits with 8 doubles and a home run. They were led by David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Julio Lugo who each had 3 hits and 2 RBI apiece from Ortiz, Ramirez, Dustin Pedroia, Jason Varitek and JD Drew.

When a team as hot as the Colorado Rockies has been off for nearly a week and half since their last game what do you feed them? Well in the first inning it was nothing but cheese. Beckett, who has become an October force, ratcheted it up and threw nothing but fastballs to the first three Colorado hitters. Needless to say they were overmatched as Willy Taveras went down looking while Kaz Matsui and NL MVP candidate Matt Holliday went down hacking.

In the bottom of the first the Boston bats, which scored 30 runs in the last three games against Cleveland, came alive. Pedroia, the AL Rookie of the Year candidate, hit a lead off home run just into the Monster Seats in left field off of Colorado lefty Jeff Francis. It was Pedroia’s 2^nd HR of the post season and he became the first rookie to lead off a World Series game with a HR. Kevin Youkilis followed it up with a ringing double to right center, Ortiz grounded out to Todd Helton at first to move Youkilis to third. On the first pitch Ramirez, the 2004 World Series MVP, ripped a single to left over a drawn in infield and it was 2-0 Boston. Mike Lowell flew out to center, Varitek singled to left to move Ramirez to second and then Drew drilled a double into the right field corner to plate Ramirez and it was 3-0. Lugo then grounded out third on a bang-bang play at first to end the inning.

Beckett started the second off right where he left off in the first as he overpowered Todd Helton for his fourth strike out. Garrett Atkins doubled high off the wall in left, but Brad Hawpe whiffed for Beckett’s 5^th strikeout. NL Rookie of the Year candidate Troy Tulowitzki doubled to left center to score Atkins and cut the lead to 3-1 but Beckett came back to get Yorvit Torrealba to ground out to Lugo.

The Sox came back at Francis and the Rockies in the second. With two out Youkilis worked a walk and Ortiz doubled into the left centerfield gap to bring Youkilis all the way around from first to score as Tulowitzki’s relay to the plate was late and it was 4-1 Red Sox. Colorado manager Clint Hurdle decided to intentionally walk Ramirez and with runners at first and second Lowell popped out to Matsui to end the threat.

As the rain continued to fall at Fenway Beckett retired the Rockies in order in the third. In the fourth after a one out two bagger by Helton high off the wall in left center, Beckett buckled down and got Atkins to strike out on a nasty bender. Then he blew away Hawpe for the second time in the game with some cheddar and that was the end of the Rockies chances that inning.

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