It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

This is the world’s second worst kept secret after Clay Aiken’s.

The leaves are turning and there’s a chill in the air. Wednesday, the MLB playoffs start. With the Red Sox starting out on the West Coast, there are sure to be some late nights. All the local Dunkin Donuts have been stocking up on extra coffee and Thursday morning meetings are all sure to be rescheduled. In New York, well, the weather is nice.

The NFL is in full swing. The great thing about the NFL is that every single week is huge. This counts double for division games. The same goes for college football.

On October 28^th, the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics (so fun to type) begin their title defense after they raise #17 to the rafters. The Bruins and all your favorite TV shows restart this month as well. For you soccer fans, the EPL and Champion’s League games are also back. Lastly, this fall is especially exciting with the presidential race in full swing and the Ryder Cup last weekend.

So, don’t schedule any parties or plans.

It is prime time for sports viewing.

Stepping behind the arc for your Thursday reading pleasure…

1) In a 10:00am press conference today, it is expected that Troy Brown is going to announce his retirement from the Patriots.  Brown joined the team in 1996 and since then has been one of the team’s most consistent players.

He’d always come up with a big third down catch or big play to help lead the team to victory. Two plays I’ll never forget are his punt return for touchdown in the 2001 AFC Championship in Pittsburgh and his strip of Marlon McCree in the 2006 Divisional playoff game in San Diego.

Patriots owner Bob Kraft said this of Brown:

“Troy Brown is the prototype of what I’d like every Patriot to be.”

I don’t think you can offer any higher praise than that.

Thanks for the memories, #80. You will be missed.

2) Something I wanted to touch on: I really can’t understand why some football fans blame the significant others of certain high-profile quarterbacks for their ills. Gisele Bundchen has been called a jinx for Tom Brady. The same can be said about Jessica Simpson for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. President Bush even joked that they should send Simpson to the Democratic National Convention. Really? Does anyone blame Laura Bush for our country’s ills?

Hell, let’s just start blaming spouses/SO’s everywhere for stuff their partner does. Co-worker dropping the ball on some info you really need? Blame his wife. Forget to pick up the kids on the way home from work? Blame your wife for not reminding you. Blame the mailcarrier’s husband for all the bills you got in the mail today.

Come on, people. Feel free to rip on women like Gisele and Jessica for their lack of intelligence or their fashion faux pas. Don’t blame them for their boy toy’s miscues on the gridiron.

3) Lastly, I have to offer my most sincere gratitude to whomever started this “big sunglasses” craze.

What is it about huuuuuge sunglasses that makes a woman even hotter? I noticed this Sunday at the Blade and I love it. Hey ladies, do it up. The bigger and more obnoxious sunglasses you can find, the better!

(swish)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Many thanks to everyone who volunteered to proofread my WEEI entry. It should be in your email now. I’ll post it here after I submit it for everyone to peruse.

We’re baaaaaaaaaacckkkkk!

Happy Yankee Elimination Day, everyone!

This is a holiday for the staff here at Truth About Mike and I have given the staff the day off to celebrate. Sitting here in our corporate headquarters, I’m celebrating alone. Usually, this holiday is held in October and the beauty of this year’s edition is that it also the Day the defending World Champion Boston Red Sox made the playoffs. Win/win!

One of my vendors at work is a huge Yankee fan. His name is Mike Doyle. I haven’t talked to Doyle in a while, but I needed to email him with a question yesterday. I asked him what was up and how he was. He responded:

“Little different without the Yanks in the playoffs, but I would rather restock and make another 14-year run.”

He was right. Until this year, the Yankees had made the playoffs for the past 14 years. I hadn’t realized that for the first time in 14 years, Yankee fans will have no playoff baseball to watch. How great is that? Hopefully, the Jets and Giants provide some good entertainment for those folks. We all know that there is no chance in hell that the Knicks will.

Sunday night was the final game in Yankee Stadium. The Cowboys/Packers game was at the top of my viewing priority that night, but I decided to check in every once in a while. Surprisingly, I watched more of it than I thought I would. As I posted in my ballpark thread the other day, I never really was a fan of the place.

A poster from SoSH (Rip) pretty much summed up my feelings about the night:

“I watched the game last night from beginning to end, and if you can’t appreciate the meaning of the building, even at a very base level as to how it marks the passage of time, I really don’t know what to say. You’re certainly not a fan of sport or the psychological connection it can have with people. Half of me was wondering how I’ll feel the day Fenway sees its last game.“

Watching the Yankees close their stadium actually made nostalgic for Fenway Park. While I watched the celebration, I wanted to go to a game in Fenway. What especially hit me was Derek Jeter’s reaction. Between you and me, I like Derek Jeter (sacriledge for a Red Sox fan, I know). Yes, he may get overrated by many, but he plays the game hard, right and is a great leader for their team. Seeing Jeter get emotional about Yankee Stadium was a surprise to me. Usually, he is so stoic and so focused. Jeter’s reaction made me appreciate the moment even more.

Back to reality: The Yankees now have plenty of time to reflect on the closing on Yankee Stadium. The Red Sox and their fans have October baseball to look forward to.

Let’s make it a back-to-back and win #8, Sox!

I need proofreaders/critiquers.

If anyone is interested in taking a quick read of my entry for the WEEI contest, please shoot me an email at:

truthaboutmike (at) gmail (dot) com

I’m finishing it up tonight and will send it to you by tomorrow morning.  Entries are due in a week (9/30).

I’d really appreciate it.  I’d rather not post it until I submit it.

Thanks!

EDITOR’S NOTE: Thanks for the Ryder Cup text updates, Rick!

Photo credits (both): Boston.com

Miami 38 New England 13

The final seconds ticked off the clock. Sitting there, head in my hands, last person left in my row, I wondered what I was still doing there. Chad Pennington and the Dolphins had just come into the Blade and totally destroyed the Patriots (I’m being kind). Ronnie Brown turned into a superhuman touchdown making machine as the middle of the Patriots defense became as soft as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. Matt Cassel might as well have been Sam Cassell playing in his first ever NFL game. There haven’t been that many ducks in the New England air since last fall’s migration.

I thought to myself, “This one is going to sting, for a while.” It will sting longer than the sunburn on my face is long gone. The sting from said sunburn will be a nice physical reminder of the loss all week. Lovely. I watched as each person around me reached the boiling point as the stadium slowly emptied. First in dribs and drabs (“I can’t take any more of this,” some guy muttered), then a few more, then culminating with a mass exodus at the start of the fourth quarter after Ronnie Brown’s 62-yard run which sealed the game.

During the fourth quarter however, I stayed. I wondered to myself why I was staying. There have been so many happy moments in that stadium over the past six years that I felt like I owed it to them to stay. I watched every last painful second. After all, this was the end of an NFL record 21 consecutive regular season victories. 21! I don’t think the Jets have won 21 games over the past three years combined.

As the seconds mercifully ran out, I watched the players slowly trickle off the field. On one side of the field the Dolphins ran off as victors to cheers from the few Miami fans in attendance gathered near the visitor’s tunnel. On the other side of the stadium, the scene was very different. The Patriots slowly trickled off, some slowly walking, some with their heads down and some with their helmet on like Matt Cassel. Maybe he was afraid there would be flying projectiles headed his way. The last Patriots to exit the field were Wes Welker followed by fullback Heath Evans. Surprisingly, the players exited to a small standing ovation. It’s as if the few remaining fans were saying thanks. Thanks for the amazing win streak and encouraging the guys to start a new one.

Walking out of the stadium was eerie as well. It felt weird leaving a place after a loss. It had been two years since I had done so. The last home loss for the Partiots was November 12^th 2006 against a New York Jet team lead by (ironically), Chad Pennington. On the last day of summer (and the streak), the usual smiles, yelling and high fives were replaced with long, quiet faces full of doubt. Taking a quick flip through my text messages echoed the looks on the faces I was seeing:

“Horrible”

“Yeah, defense should tighten up.”

“Totally f*cked.”

“Play D will ya!”

“I want to hurt someone right now! Auuugh!”

“Over.”

“This is a nightmare”

“This is a joke!”

“Welcome to the downside of a dynasty.”

“System my a$$. Brady is that good.”

“Uggh. D never showed up. Is Cassel the answer?”

“Weekley 4&2 over Wilson. 12.5-9.5” (Boooo! Ryder Cup update)

“Yeah, today sucked.”

As I was walking back to the cars, I had no desire to stay and tailgate again (as originally planned). Seeing the faces postgame was also weird. Usually, when we get back to the cars we high-five and talk about another Patriot victory. Yesterday, we all had long faces and shook our heads. The only non-negative thing was Dave saying, “Wow, you got some sun, huh?” AJ remarked, “We’ve been really spoiled, man.” He was right.

I caught a ride home with Keith, AJ and Dave and stewed the whole ride home. I looked out the window and wondered how I let myself live and die at the whims of totally overpaid millionaires I’ll probably never meet. I stewed and sulked until…

I got back to the house at around 5:15 and flipped on the TV to catch the end of the Ryder Cup. The first words I heard as the picture slowly appeared were:

“The cup is back in the hands of the United States!”

The picture that appeared depicted a group of grown men in red shirts jumping around like kids. The underdog American team won the Ryder Cup for the first time since 1999. Suddenly, the sadness from the Patriot loss disappeared. I felt the same way I felt as I when I watched the Americans win that day in Brookline. They jumped, cried, hugged and danced. Right after the win, an emotional and tearing Paul Azinger (the American captain) said:

“I poured my heart and soul into this for two years, and my players poured their hearts into it for this past week, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.”

I suddenly remembered why I let myself live and die at the whims of those totally overpaid millionaire strangers.

At 8:45pm tonight, I got a call from my friend Dan. Dan attended the last two days of the Ryder Cup out in Louisville. Our connection was bad, but I picked up most of what he was saying:

“Just leaving the course now! We saw the trophy ceremony!! We touched the cup!! We talked to Zinger! Awesome, man… awesome!!”

We watch sports for moments and feelings like the American Ryder Cup team gave us this weekend.

Since I got my season tickets in 2002 (the year Gillette opened): The Patriots have gone 48-10 at home. They have gone 8-0 in home playoff games. They won two Super Bowls. They went undefeated at home in 2003, 2004 and 2007. Think about that. During half of the seasons I’ve owned the tickets, they didn’t lose at home. There is no downside to this simply remarkable dynasty.

Their last regular season loss was December 10^th 2006. They have gone from the laughing stock of the league to the class of the NFL. They are the team everybody loves to hate and I absolutely love to love. Anything can happen during any given Sunday in the NFL. Z was in Giants Stadium today watching the lowly Bengals (!!) take the defending champs to overtime. This is why the NFL is such a great sport to follow. Any given Sunday….

There is a lot of football left. The 2008 New England Patriots aren’t as bad as they looked today and they aren’t as good as they looked last week. Without Tom Brady, getting back on track will be a challenge. Fortunately, they have one of the best coaches in the history of the NFL to figure it out. The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for this team. While the two week wait will suck for the fans, it will be a welcome respite for the players and coaches. They have some time to fix what went wrong today.

Let’s start a new streak in two weeks, Pats.

I can’t wait.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Happy Birthday, Keri!

I’m really not a golf fan.

I love watching Tiger Woods on Sundays (hell, I named my ex-dog after him) but other than that I could care less about the sport. It just doesn’t appeal to me.

I’ve tried to play a bunch of times, but I just end up getting bored by about the 9th hole. I’ve gone to the driving range to pound out frustrations (hey now) but the game has never caught my attention like I always thought it would.

I’ve been sick all week. Some of you may have noticed something was up by the lack of posts (sorry!). Last night, I decided to flip on the Ryder Cup and I was captivated. I couldn’t turn away. The Americans have this guy named Boo Weekley and he was just dropping shots all over the place. It was like he was playing darts. The gallery was chanting his name (Boooooooo!) and he was playing to the crowd. It was great theater.

For those of you that don’t know, the Ryder Cup is a bi-annual golf tournament between the United States and a team from Europe. This year it is being played in Valhalla in Kentucky. What makes the Ryder Cup different than any other golf tournament is that it turns golf into a team competition as opposed to the usual indvidual competition.

What makes the Ryder Cup special is that the golfers show more emotion in this tournament than any other golf event. Teammates pull for each other, give each other advice and even high-five and fist bump. Furthermore, you have that whole patriotic thing going on, rooting for golfers you have never heard of (again, I don’t watch much golf) just by their shirt and the country they represent.

The Ryder Cup started today at 8am. Even though I went to bed late last night, I found myself up at 8 (sans alarm) watching the tournament. I watched for a while today and probably watched more golf this weekend than I have watched all year. I wish I could watch the final day tomorrow (NBC 12pm-7pm), but I’ll be at the Blade watching the Pats game.

I highly suggest you check it out – even for a few minutes.

Go USA! Beat Europe.

(somebody please send me Ryder Cup text updates tomorrow)

I’ve been to 29 MLB ballparks. The only cities I haven’t seen a ballgame in are: Phoenix, Tampa, Miami, Washington DC, Minneapolis and Seattle. This is going to be a long entry, so I’ll just jump right into it. They are listed in order of preference (subject to my personal biases, of course).

1 – AT&T Park (Pac Bell): The crown jewel of MLB. When I walked through the tunnel for the first time, I turned to my ex-wife and asked her if she wanted to move. Stunning views of the Bay, homers into McCovey Cove, great garlic fries and perfect sightlines from everywhere in the park. Set in one of America’s best cities – not that there is anything wrong with that.

2 – Fenway Park: I have to be honest: The improvements the current ownership have made have almost been enough to catapult Fenway into the #1 slot. One of my favorite things to do in life is bringing a first timer to Fenway Park. Even the overrated monster seats don’t detract from baseball mecca.

3 – Wrigley Field: If it wasn’t for Cubs fans, Wrigley might even higher rated on my list. Cubs fans don’t come to watch baseball, they come for the party (especially in the bleachers). 6 out of 10 Cubs fans could not name five players on the team or what the score is at any point during the game. I love having an good time and whooping it up, don’t get me wrong, but at a baseball game you’re supposed to watch some baseball. It is just too bad because stepping into Wrigley Field is like stepping into a time machine.

4 – Camden Yards: One of the best baseball trips a Bostonian can make is to Baltimore for the Sox series. From the B&O warehouse, to Boog’s barbeque it is a jewel of a ballpark. Best place to go postgame is Fells Point. Also, while in town check out the best crab shack on the east coast, L.P. Steamers. Ask for Bud the owner and tell him I sent you.

5 – Tiger Stadium (closed): I stood like five feet from Roger Clemens watching him warm up at Tiger Stadium. The whole park was like that: intimate, small and another one of those with an old time feel. Just a great place to watch a baseball game.

6 – Dodger Stadium: I probably have “Chavez Ravine” rated a little higher than I should, but I absolutely love this park. It is cut out of a hill and even though the Dodgers fans are a little suspect, it is a great place to catch a ball game and/or join a local gang. “Think Blue” indeed.

7- Turner Field: This one was a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t expecting much (it is in Atlanta, after all) but Turner does not disappoint. The Chop House in center field is a great place to watch a ballgame. Worth mentioning: my friend Buddy is an expert at sneaking into the Chop House. Props for the “scenery” in the park, maybe the best in MLB. “The Southern girls with the way they talk, they knock me out when I’m down there.”

8 – The Ballpark in Arlington: I was excited to see this one because it was the ballpark in the Disney movie The Rookie. Everything is definitely bigger in Texas. At TBA, we did the “Chan Ho Milwood” chant mocking overpaid starter Chan Ho Park. Riding home in the back of a pickup (sans gun rack, sadly), Texas-style only enhanced the day.

9 – County Stadium (closed): Old home of the Brewers. I loved County Stadium. The infield grandstand actually felt like Fenway. Loved watching Billy Brewer slide into a big mug of beer, only ballpark where I’ve seen people tailgate before a game. Brats, beer and baseball. Does it get any better?

10 – Miller Park (Milwaukee): I despise domed stadiums. I think sports were meant to be played outside. That said, Miller is the best of the domed stadiums. Billy Brewer’s slide is bigger and less cool, people still tailgate and they brought the secret stadium sauce to the new place.

11 – Great American Ballpark (Cincinnati): Probably another one rated higher than it should be for sentimental reasons. I went to the first game in the GABP and also witnessed a Wily Mo Pena walkoff that sent the crowd into an absolute frenzy. The skyline coney dogs are worth the price of admission alone.

12 – PNC Park (Pittsburgh) : Very overrated. I was really excited to see PNC and it took a while because it is in, well, Pittsburgh. It is a very nice park, but it lacks character and there is something missing. I can’t quite put my finger on it. A winning baseball team, maybe? Not the best place to wear a Tom Brady jersey.

13 – Kaufmann Stadium (Kansas City): What a pleasant surprise. The fountains in dead center have a soothing quality. They are definitely needed with the quality of play on display by the local 9 each night. Also, it is the ballpark where I saw the funniest baseball shirt ever. The shirt was blue with the KC logo and one word (“Believe”) on the front. Too. Much. Comedy.

14 – Coors Field (Denver): Probably rated higher than it should be because I saw Game 4 of the 2007 World Series there (Thanks Tony!). Huge and cavernous. There is a line going across the top of the stadium marking one mile above sea level. They really play up that whole “Mile High” thing in Denver. To me, it doesn’t seem like something that should be bragged about. Bonus points for being one of the few parks I have actually pooped in.

15 – Yankee Stadium: also affectionately known as “The Toilet” and “The House that Ruth Built.” Vastly overrated and really does look like a toilet. Sterile and in a bad area. The last game I saw there was Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS. When they build a new Yankee Stadium, they should put it in a better part of town. Oops, too late!

16 – Comerica Park (Detroit): I once won a freestyle rap battle at Comerica during the seventh inning stretch (Eight Mile, yo!). OK, maybe not. Another huuugge park. Any park with a ferris wheel inside loses points just on merit alone.

17 – Edison Field: Home of the Los Angeles Awesome Angels of Anaheim Across America. Home of thundersticks, Rally Monkeys and and Adundance of baseball poseurs. Also, home to a lot of sad faces after the Red Sox sweep them out of the playoffs for the 197^th straight year.

18 (tie) Petco Park (San Diego) and Citizens Bank Ballpark (Philly): I am lumping both of these together because essentially, they are the same park. Petco should be rated higher, but this entry is too long already. Pluses for Petco: Not in Philadelphia, cool incorporation of the Western Metal Supply building, Churros, Fish Tacos. Minuses for CBP: In Philadelphia, nothing around it, stadium gustapo threw out my whole row (including a four-year old). “City of Brotherly Love,” my ass.

20 – Busch Stadium: Old Cardinals ballpark. One of the UFO-esque flying saucer multi-purpose 70’s style stadiums. Became much better once they took out the turf and made it baseball only. Great fans. St. Louis fans are is into the game as Boston fans. One of America’s best baseball cities. Site of the clinching game of the Red Sox 2004 World Series championship and the Drew Barrymore/Jimmy Fallon Fever Pitch on-field kiss. Yet another example of the best of times and worst of times – all in one moment.

21 – Riverfront Stadium (closed): Old Reds stadium. Another UFO-esque flying saucer style multi-purpose 70’s style stadiums. Once saw Corey Dillon rush for 246 yards breaking Jim Brown’s rookie record at Riverfront. I mention it because I can’t think of a good Cincinnati baseball moment I ever saw there.

22 – Minute Maid Park (Houston): I was kinda hoping Hurricane Ike would destroy this one. Retractable dome home of the Astros, is a weird shape, and has that weird hill in center field. It is the Pee Wee Herman of baseball parks: Sometimes loveable, sometimes funny, sometimes perverted, and always just a little bit bizarre.

23 – Qualcomm Stadium: Born as Jack Murphy Stadium and old home of the San Diego Padres. I bet it is a great place to watch a football game. Baseball, not so much.

24 – U.S. Cellular Field: Also known as “The Cell” or new Comiskey Park. Tough area. Very steep upper deck, home of the most nosebleeds due to altitude in the major leagues. Positive: White Sox fans are better than Cubs fans.

25 – Rodgers Centre (SkyDome): Quieter than the Pleasantville public library. Only ballpark with a misspelling in the name. How about a spell check up there in the Great White North, eh? Better than…

26 – Exhibition Stadium (closed): The old home of the Blue Jays. The majority of the seats did not face home plate. Once saw a George Bell walkoff home run there (before they were known as walk off home runs).

27 – Shea Stadium: Great place to go if you like to watch planes. Right in the flight path of LaGuardia Airport. (because I’m an optimist, I am counting this as a positive).

28 – Whatever Oakland’s Park is called now: Three words, one question mark: Mount Davis. Why?

Worst – Jacobs Field: It is in Cleveland. Enough said.

One of the many benefits of living in an area like New England is that each of the New England states has their own special qualities. Living in the Commonwealth for as long as I have, I’ve only been in Vermont three times (once was driving through to Montreal). The Stink’s wedding was this weekend in Vermont and it was probably the most time I’ve spent in Vermont (at one time). Boy, did I learn a lot.

First off, I didn’t take the falconry class. I cancelled my reservation because I didn’t think I’d be serious enough for the class. My only intention to go was for mockery and I didn’t want to be a waste of anyone’s time. After thinking it over, I decided to go anyways but when I tried to re-schedule, they were fully booked. Oh well…

Vermont brings some unique things to the New England table.

About Vermont…

- I learned that Uggs are insanely popular in the Green Mountain State.

- I learned that maple syrup is everywhere. They even sell it roadside.

- I learned that surprisingly, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is not. I was fully expecting Ben and Jerry’s dispensers to be as frequent as newspaper dispensers, but this was not the case.

- I learned that the Aspen is not as bad of a place to stay in Manchester. The housekeeping ladies love to wave at you when they see you walk or drive by.

- I learned that my karaoke rendition of “Ring of Fire” was a big hit in the only “hopping” bar in Manchester on Friday night. It’s always a crowd pleaser.

- I learned that the Buckeyes are not an elite team. Sigh.

- I learned that the Jets aren’t either. In fact, they are the same old Jets.

- I learned that they love guns in Vermont. After visiting the “flagship” Orvis store and seeing a ton of guns, I started asking the salesman some questions. Apparently, the guns were real and you can pack heat in Vermont out in the open without a permit. I was very tempted to buy a gun and holster.  My plan was to enter various places around town, wild west style, just to see what kind of reaction I’d get.

- I learned not to approach a fly fishing class and ask how the fish are biting or if they caught anything. Not as funny as I thought it would be (to the instructors or the people in the class).

- I learned that slavery jokes are OK in Vermont. Cals and I were on the shuttle to the rehearsal dinner and the driver started talking about his horse farm. It was only Cals and I on the shuttle and after he told us he had 18 horses on his horse farm, I asked the driver how many slaves he had. Let’s just say he got a real kick out of that question.

- I learned that breakfast is overpriced in Vermont. It’s only eggs and toast, you hippies.

- I learned that my friend of 23+ years is known as “Phillie.”

- I learned that “Phillie’s” brother Al is really good at best man speeches.

- I learned that “Phillie’s” mother doesn’t collect baskets anymore. She is now into collecting other things.

- I learned that my joke during my wedding blessing went over a lot of people’s heads. “Marriage is not a word. It is a sentence” if you’re wondering. Gold, Jerry! Gold! (or so I thought)

- I learned that my friend Brother can secure a round of Miller Lites anywhere. He can do this even if the only beers being served at the wedding are Amstel Light and Equinox Ale.

- I learned that watching people dance at weddings is the reason why I don’t dance at weddings.

- I learned that my friend Flah is not afraid to drop an f-bomb on a wedding DJ when it is warranted.

- I learned that there’s no place like home and I still like to honk the horn when I see “Welcome to Massachusetts” signs.

- I learned that an old Vermontian wedding tradition is called the “Hava Nagila” and it is fantastic. During this song, you lift up the bride and groom on chairs and pump them up and down repeatedly like a cocaine-induced-hyper-bench press session (OK, this may be a Jewish tradition).

- I learned that no matter where you are, there’s nothing like good times with old friends.

I don’t think you can really know the “Truth About Mike” without knowing the truth about Phil (on the right in the picture above). It’s a good time to mention Phil because he is getting married tomorrow up in Vermont. Phil has been one of my best friends since about the sixth grade. Phil is a dude that can light up any room with his wit and sunny demeanor.

Back in high school, Phil and I lived on pretty much the opposite sides of Pleasantville. Phil would ride his bike 4.8 miles across town to come over my house (he says more than 20 times, but I don’t think it was that often). I know it is 4.8 miles because last night, I measured how far it was. I’ve been dreading making the drive up to Vermont for the wedding for a little while now. The honest truth is that I wouldn’t miss Phil’s wedding for the world. Even if they had it on the moon and served Egg-Beaters, I’d still find a way to get there – even if I had to ride my bike.

Here are some fun facts about Phil:

- He doesn’t like his nickname (The Stink).

- He owes me $10.

- He used to get nosebleeds, often.

- He used to put food in his pockets, saving it for later.

- He would take huge bites out of his sandwich in the BHS lunchroom.

- He looked like Messy Marvin/the kid who was going to “shoot his eye out” from A Christmas Story growing up.

- He gave me one of the best gifts I’ve ever received when I moved to Ohio: A goodbye video

- He puked in Rick Taranto’s parents bushes after the senior prom after drinking too many rum and Cokes.

- He once punched his own windshield (cracking it) at Burger King.

- He has an awesome memory full of essential information like where Princess Leia is being held in the Death Star (Detention Block AA 23 – I had to google it but Phil remembers this – I’ll text him sometimes and ask).

- We’d often sit in his crappy Cutlass, talking for hours about the minutia that seemed so momentus in high school, but seems so trivial now.

Back in his dorm room at Georgetown, Phil had probably my favorite poster of all time. It was perfect. Depicted on it were pictures of all kinds of different ticket stubs to things around Boston like sporting events, the swan boats, museums, etc. At the very bottom was a line I thought of until I moved back here:

“Two tickets to Boston, please.”

Earthly nirvana.

Back in high school, Phil ran for student council. In his speech, he parodied Martin Luther King Jr’s “I have a dream speech” and many allude to this speech as the point when Phil came out of his shell. Phil has been like a dream for me and the effect he has on my life has been immeasurable. This week, in an email, my friend Allison was talking about her son and how he was trying to learn how to walk.

In the email, she said:

“I finally realized he needs to learn how to fall. (Don’t we all?)”

I can honestly say that I learned this lesson from Phil. During all those conversations with Phil in the Cutlass about girls, school, family and almost every subject under the sun, I learned to fall. I learned one of life’s most important lessons from one of my most dear friends.

Phil, as you said in the video you made me, and as Spock said in 1984:

“I have been and always shall be your friend.”

Thanks for always being there for me. Congrats to you and Sara on your wedding. I couldn’t be happier for you both. My wish for you guys is that you begin a new life together full of love, laughs and a lifetime of happiness.

EDITOR’S NOTE #1: When Mike Timlin enters the game, it is time to leave Fenway Park.

EDITOR’S NOTE #2: Congrats to Greg “Taco” Bebezas for both his newborn and for being quoted by Yahoo Sports yesterday.  Also, happy birthday to Jere!

Today is the seven year anniversary of 9/11. 9/11 was a terrible tragedy that not only rocked our nation, but the world. I think of the events of September 11^th 2001 almost every day. In my living room, there hangs a picture of the twin towers. I can’t leave my house without that picture entering my line of sight.

On the weekend before 9/11, my ex-wife and I spent the weekend in New York City. We went down to visit my cousin Euell and his wife Stacy who lived in the Nolita section of Manhattan. On the evening of Saturday 9/8, we went to dinner at this place called La Familia. It was a family style place and the four of us ended up talking to these two guys at the table next to us. We all had a great time, a lot of drinks and a lot of laughs. One of the guys mentioned that he was staying at the Millenium Hilton, which was adjacent to the World Trade Center site. He mentioned that he was in town for meetings at the WTC which were to begin on 9/10. I often wonder if he died on 9/11.

On Sunday 9/9, Euell and I went to the Red Sox/Yankees game at Yankee Stadium. While we were at the game, our wives went to he went to the South Street Seaport for lunch/drinks and then were planning to go to the WTC. I remember my ex-wife saying how she decided against going on a tour of the WTC that day because “it would always be there” (which is quite eerie at this point). I also remember how beautiful New York was that weekend. I also remember….

- The shock, sadness and confusion of the morning of 9/11.

- How the activity and phones died at work that morning.

- How the bits and pieces of information regarding the attacks came in. Some true, most false/rumor.

- How almost every major news site on the internet wouldn’t load due to all the traffic

- Talking to my ex-wife on the phone, telling her what happened and crying when I said, “The Twin Towers, they’re gone.”

- Getting through on the phone to Euell and him having to end the conversation because the second tower was falling.

- Seeing said second tower fall on TV after Euell told me about it seconds before…

- Hearing about my one of my teachers, Mr. Jim Trentini was on one of the flights that crashed into the WTC.

- Telling my cousin Les how they would rebuild the towers, taller and more glorious than ever.

- Seeing a flag on every car for weeks after 9/11 and how proud it made me

- Tearing up every time I heard Lee Greenwood’s song “God Bless the USA” months after 9/11

- Visiting New York City in October 2001. How it looked like a war zone.

- The smell of New York City on that visit. Even a month later, it still smelled like NYC was burning. I’ll never forget that smell. Ever.

- Going to a Neil Diamond concert in October 2001 in the FleetCenter. They passed out small American flags to everyone and he opened with “America.” What a moment that was.

- Realizing that the worst part about 9/11 was not the 2,974 lives lost and the destruction of that day, but the fact that it lead to the US invasion of Iraq. The Iraq war is much worse in my eyes. The American people were deceived into thinking it was just and have been paying the price ever since.

I emailed Euell to get some of the details of the day yesterday (my memory is terrible). His email sums up a lot of the fears we had that day:

“I was watching a documentary on 9/11 over the weekend and I thought
about the night. Actually around this time of year I think about that
night and the events that took place two days later. I think about that
guy who stayed at the hotel. I wonder if he was still staying there or if he left town. I
thought he had mentioned he had a meeting at the WTC (not sure if it was
that day). Was he there? Did he make it out? If he was there, I wonder
what his friend must have felt like when he turned on the tv/radio that
morning. I think about the 2 close friends I have who worked at
buildings adjacent to the two towers. I thank God that the planes
didn’t hit their buildings by mistake. Most of all I think about how
Stacy was supposed be down at a client in John St. (a few blocks from
the towers) and how her clients were trapped in the building overnight.
How scared she would have been and how worried I would have been. Instead
she went to a seminar her company was holding. Then I remember how I
couldn’t get in touch with her…and then though maybe the seminar got
cancelled and she headed down to her client. I was unable to reach until
after both towers fell. I prayed the reason I couldn’t have gotten a
hold of her was because the cell tower went down with one of the towers
and that she was okay. Thank God she was.

And to this day…I still think…How did they let this happen?”

Good question. How did this happen? Have we learned from the events of this day? Is America a better and safer place seven years later?

God bless America and everyone who was affected by the tragic events of September 11, 2001.

Photos from 9/11