Chris Paul Traded to LA...Again

So the NBA is letting Chris Paul go to LA, just the Clippers instead of the Lakers. The Clippers will send guard Eric Gordon, center Chris Kaman, forward Al-Farouq Aminu and Minnesota's unprotected 2012 first-round pick to the Hornets for Paul. The Clippers will also receive two future second-round picks.

This actually makes sense. Paul will have a solid group of players around him and a ton of cash available to pay him well. Gordon is a stud in the making but Kaman is an expensive backup center with DeAndre Jordan having his offer sheet matched. Aminu seemed like he could be a decent wing player but not more than the 4th best starter on a lottery team. The T-Wolves have enough talent to stay out of the lottery and a good coach that should keep that pick in the 8-12 range. 

The trade is fair for both teams and actually makes sense? The Clippers rolled the dice, what's the worst that can happen?

Frank Mir, Pain, and Chinese Food

So I went to a Chinese restaurant (Shanghai Gardens in S Attleboro) to watch UFC 140. Frank Mir is a great submission fighter and wrestler and is a huge beast of a man. I am not a huge fan of Mir but when in doubt cheer for the American. I watched Mir go loopy after getting destroyed by a punch, but on the way down he grabbed a charging Minotauro Nogueira and then the following occurred.

Do Your Pants Hang Low?

FOR ALL OF U THAT THINK IS NICE TO WALK WITH UR PANTS BELOW UR BUTT, READ THE FOLLOWING EXPLANATION: THIS TREND WAS BORN IN THE UNITED STATES’ JAILS, WHERE PRISONERS WHO WERE WILLING TO HAVE SEX WITH OTHER PRISONERS NEEDED TO INVENT A SIGNAL THAT WOULD GO UNNOTICED BY THE GUARDS SO THEY WOULDN’T SUFFER CONSEQUENCES, SO BY PARTIALLY SHOWING THEIR BUTTS, THEY SHOWED THAT THEY WERE AVAILABLE TO BE PENETRATED BY OTHER INMATES. ARE YOU ADJUSTING TO HOMOSEXUAL PATTERNS MAYBE?

Sad Day For Dean

Not proud to call Dean College my alma matter today with a fight over sneakers and six students expelled

http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/12006088840869/6-expelled-after-dean-college-beating/

Man Tips

Over the years I have learned (and forgotten) many of the unwritten rules of being a man. These bits of knowledge come from our elders, life experiences, and random places we never expect. As bizarre as it may seem I learned four important lessons from TV, 'Home Improvement' being the specific source. So learn from my knowledge which originally came from the writters at ABC.

1. Never take a tool out of another mans' hand - it doesn't matter if he can do the job or not, he will get angry and there is a great chance said tool will end up sending you to the emergency room.

2. Always label the fuse box in ink - pencil fades but the damage from electrical currents pulsing through your body stays with you.

3. Never touch another mans' grill - this has been true since the caveman first used fire to grill his meat. Don't touch someone else's fire or you will get burned.

4. Potatoes + Broken Lightbulbs = success - when you have a broken light bulb that you can't get out, first UNPLUG THE LAMP. Then cut a potato in half, stick it into the broken bulb, twist, and you have a lamp ready for a new bulb.

Pass on those man tips, you never know who will need them.  

My Son's Got Game

Colton was on the couch with Brandy and I the other night when he tried to pull Brandy's shirt in a direction in which a shirt was designed to cover. He received a scolding to "never pull down a ladies' shirt". Of course I chimed in, "at least without buying her dinner first". He looked at me, smiled, gave me a thumbs up and said "Okay Dad...but no kissing". I know he will not need much dating help.

My Replacement

My son walked up to me casually the other day and the following interesting conversation ensued

Colton - "Dad are you a cyborg?"
Me - "What?"
Colton - "Dad are you a cyborg?"
Me - "Whyyyy?"
Colton - "Um, I just, what?"
Me - "I am not a cyborg, I am your Dad. Who are you?'
Colton - "I am Colton...right?'
Me - "Yup"

I am not only a cyborg, I am a cyborg ninja.

Sports and Parenting

For me it is easiest to bond with a child/as a child when sports are involved. Some of my favorite memories involve playing or attending sporting events. The relationship my Father and I have today is a product of going to more games than I can count. While he was more of a 'car guy' I was a sports fan from birth. This was a major anomaly in my family, as most sports were only a passing interest, and even that fluctuated.

Hockey is great live, I even got to take my 6 year old daughter to a Providence Bruins game last year. Even from the cheap seats, she was hooked. She still thought the Yankees were playing (took her to see the Red Sox versus the Yankees AAA teams in Pawtucket for her first sports event) but soon figured it out and was even able to keep up with the action and figure the basics out in less than two periods. She still talks about it and has the Bruins flag on her wall that I got her.

About 15 years ago my father worked with a man that played for Team USA in Japan for the paralympic hockey team. They play on a sled that is like a big skate and have 2 sticks with little spikes (like on shoes the mountain climbers use) they use to propel themselves. It is unbelievable the strength they need to do that. I stink on regular skates and I helped ref one of their practices. I had a dozen stitches and an eyebrow that splits in two as a rememberence. For Christmas I received ticket to a Bruins game. We got a bump from the cheap seats to sitting with his friend in the handicapped area. You are right in line with the top of the glass, about 20 feet from the ice. You could hear the swears and yelling from anywhere on the ice, even with a loud crowd. That was fantastic, an amazing atmosphere and enough action (compared to baseball, my main passion) to keep you glued to your seat.

Around the same time I also won season tickets to Northeastern college. The team was awful but I did see several future NHL players destroy the home team. There was also a Swedish defenseman for Northeastern with a huge shot but no accuracy. Even in practice he was launching pucks into the stands and that was with all day to line up the shot and nobody contesting him. Sure enough in a game he got a chance to uncork a shot from inside the blue line, straight on and close enough so that he almost couldn't miss the net. Well the guy 25 rows up and about 15 feet wide of the goal tried to catch the inaccurate shot and got his thumb snapped back to his wrist. That didn't stop the puck, it slammed into the seats about 20 feet back. He reminded me of the kid in one of the Mighty Ducks movies that couldn't skate but had a fireball of a shot. I still have a few errant pucks from those games.

The best thing about going to games is that my Dad and I got to drive in and talk. While the subjects at hand didn't really seem to matter, the memories are priceless. Now I have taken my daughter to a few games and soon my other children will be able to go and enjoy the action. All I can hope is that they are able to create some of their great memories like I have.

Unsuper Dad: Pain is good

Unsuper Dad: Pain is good: So since my stomach surgery I am not supposed to lift more than 25 pounds, and that is only if I am feeling well. I am lucky if I can carry ...

Pain is good

So since my stomach surgery I am not supposed to lift more than 25 pounds, and that is only if I am feeling well. I am lucky if I can carry around milk without pain since my healing hasn't been progressing very quickly. Since the kids were at my parents I decided to take out the three air conditioners we have and bring them in the basement. Alone. Without help.

I got soaked, cut up, and am in more pain than I can remember. At least I have a nice breeze blowing through the now vacant window. All I need is a nurse with a bottle of morphine.

Red Sox vs Terry Francona

Terry Francona should want out as Red Sox manager. The Sox go 86 years with nothing, he guides them to two titles in four years, and now it is 'his fault'. He dealt with one of the toughest media markets, a team that had upset players or headcases every year (Manny, Mike Lowell, Mike Cameron, Lackey, Dice-K etc). Terry always deflected the blame away from the organization that kept them here and the players that caused the issues. 
I didn't like the way he started shuffling the lineup for no reason the last 10 games, he should have done that two weeks before if he was going to. The issue is one of four we always see with the Sox.

1. You can never have enough pitching. EVER

2. We can draft a glut of young position players but we seem to trade away all our young arms before they have a chance to mature. (Lester, Bard, and Bad Back Clay were all offered in multiple trades.) Once they hit the bigs they are offered in trades for bats.

3. Injuries, injuries, injuries. All teams have them but the Sox need to look into their medical staff and strength and conditioning programs. (Look no further than Jacoby and his misdiagnosed rib issue).

4. Free Agent contracts. The Sox need to stop acting like the Yankees' little brother. The Yankees show interest in a free agent, than we want him too. They need to stop looking at the biggest name player and see who will work out the best in this market. The Sox wanted Crawford to make sure he didn't go to the Yankees or Angels. Forget that he needs to be the biggest fish in a small market pond, he didn't even fit the Sox philosophy or team dynamics. He isn't an OBP guy, there was no logical place in the lineup for him, there was now an over abundance of lefties in the lineup, etc. 

Look at Lackey. The Sox always beat up on him, especially at Fenway. He is a fly ball pitcher in a small park. He had injury issues and was always a #2 acting as a #1 in LA. He couldn't beat the good teams with any frequency. Why is he here? Knee-jerk reaction and make a splash. Maybe Theo needs to step down and take his beloved computer with him so some fresh blood can help. Let Cherrington stay as GM and get a small market assistant GM with a good free agent history take his spot.