Since I last left you, Daniel Nava has been sent back to the minors, John Lackey has taken a no-hitter into the 8th inning, and both Marco Scutaro and Adrian Beltre have gone deep. Not bad for the first set of predictions.
Then again, Bill Hall continued to make the worst of his $8.5 million a year contract, booting a possible inning-ending double-play, that eventually forced the Sox into an extra-inning loss.
Thanks a lot Bill. This is what I get for sticking up for you. Hey, at least he can play seven other positions, right?
Right...
Well, in any case, I might as well keep rolling while the getting's hot. Four out of five 'aint so bad. Hell, if we're playing baseball rules (and, we are, because I said so), that's an .800 average.
I mean, damn. Move over Teddy Williams, there's a new sheriff in town. Without further ado, here are the final five questions you've all been asking, and the rest of you have been thinking.
From David Ortiz to the Yankees, all the way to our beloved Dice-K Matsuzaka, I leave no stones unturned.
So let's start turning.
5. What can we expect from Big Papi moving forward? Will the Derby effect his swing? (Markus, Boston, MA)
Doubtful.
I know we’ve seen it in years past, specifically with Josh Hamilton two seasons ago, but in reality, this whole “Derby Curse” is just about as believable as the Madden one.
Look, these guys are professional athletes. I’m supposed to buy that they get, what? Tired? After swinging a bat really hard for a few hours? I mean isn’t that their job? Isn’t that what they do before every game they play - all 162 of them?
July is almost through, baseball’s in full swing, and naturally, the Sox have questions – and plenty of them.
Will the rebound from the injuries? Will John Lackey rebound from whatever’s wrong with him? Will Dice-K ever have two similar starts in a row?
No, seriously. For good or for bad - at this point, I really don't care which it is. Two great starts in a row, or two horrible ones - just anything that slightly resembles the last, at all, would be great, thanks Dice-man.
They’re the burning questions that everyone’s asking, as the Red Sox lace up the cleats for the second half of what is turning out to be a very difficult baseball season in Boston. How will it all end up?
Check out for yourself below, as the first half of the top 10 Red Sox Questions are answered, numbers 6-10:
10. Have the Red Sox finally found a capable shortstop in Marco Scutaro? (Steve, Springfield, MA)
I can’t say that I was fully on board with the Scutaro signing before the season began.
In fact, I was a bit skeptical that after all their troubles at the shortstop position, the Red Sox would expect a 34-year old, .266 career-hitting journeyman (who had spent time with the Athletics, Blue Jays, and Mets) to be the knight in shining armor to their fire-breathing dragon of a problem.
After all, 2009 was his breakout year, where he slugged a whopping .282, popping 12 homers to go along with 60 RBI. An absolute monster breakout. Right. And Lou Bega is a top 10 recording artist.
Let me preface this article by stating I am an entirely neutral party here.
I am not from Cleveland, nor do I ever find myself wishing I was. I don’t know anyone that lives there, have never passed through it, and quite honestly, don’t care to accomplish either of those tasks under my own will or consciousness.
On a similar note, I am not from Miami either. And aside from my few opinions on South Beach, which oddly enough mostly stem from Will Smith, I have no attachment to the city of Miami.
Although, I’m not going to lie, I do feel some weird sort of connection with it ever since I beat GTA: Vice City. It’s strange, but I feel like I own it. Ask anyone who ever beat that game, and I’m sure they’ll say the same thing. Somehow I feel like I'm destined to move there, spend copious amounts of coke money on sunglasses, chains and new boats, and flip Ferrari's over the bridge.
But I digress.
Facts are, I’m attached to one basketball team, and one basketball team only – the Boston Celtics, who were not in any way, shape or form involved in the transplant of LeBron’s courtship.
On that same level, I have only enough hate in my body for one basketball team, and one basketball team only – the Los Angeles Lakers, who, just as the Celtics, were not involved here.
To put it simply, I have no dog in this fight. I have no stake here. I have no steak here either; I’m actually eating chicken as I write this instead. Why you ask? Chicken over steak? Because I bought this chicken pre-cooked from Shaw’s. Go ahead; buy a pre-cooked steak from Shaw’s. I dare you. I, on the other hand, plan to live past the age of 25.
Even so, despite not having any dogs or stakes (or steaks), I, just like any self respecting sports fan, do have an opinion on the matter. And as usual, it happens to be an opinion that, I promise, many of you won’t like. In fact, a large majority of you might detest me for it.
Ask me if I care.
Go ahead, ask me. Shoot me an email, subjected “do you care, Ian?”
And in the time that it takes me to respond to that email by pressing the “delete” button, you can read this: my compilation of 6 reasons why LeBron made the most correct decision since Thomas Jefferson signed the Declaration of Independence in permanent ink, and told King George and the rest of those big-wigged Frenchmen to shove it.
I wasn’t going to do it. I felt bad, to be honest. Which is weird, because usually when it comes to sports, I'm a soulless bastard.
Regardless, the Bruins had somehow taken the form of Jesus on Ice, went up 3-0, and I felt bad about writing one of these. I was about halfway through, and scrapped it.
But then something amazing happened. It came when Dan Carcillo was skating around somewhere, or being a bitch at some point, his floppy mullet flailing in the air, that stupid tooth-less smile on his face – and I realized something.
God, do I hate Philadelphia.
Then, Philly went and won game four, giving me a little extra time to fish through and find some extra reasons why Philadelphia sucks.
And then my dad dropped 180 bucks – of his hard earned money - to bring me and my sister to watch game five.
And Philly went and won.
And that’s when I decided this had to be written. For my dad, for his 180 bucks, and for the city of Boston. Because we need this. And Philly needs this. Because they suck.
So without further ado, here are ten reasons why Philadelphia sucks ass.
The Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins are currently mired in what promises to be a great series of playoff hockey - plenty of hard hits, fantastic goalie play and better yet, down-to-the-wire games that carry an all-or-nothing weight.
What more could you ask for?
Honestly? Not much. Except for the one thing that’s missing in this series: some good, old-fashioned hatred - the sports hatred that we all know and love.
Because, to be honest, there really isn’t much right now. And we need it.
I don’t really get why it’s not there – Buffalo is in New York after all, which, to Bostonians, is a free-pass to GO as far as hatred is concerned. But nonetheless, that sports hatred? For a division rival in Buffalo? Non-existant.
I’m not talking about that type of hatred that makes you want to choke out your roommate – it’s more than that.
It’s the sports hatred – the kind of hatred that means you and your dick friend who likes the Yankees can go share a beer during the Sox-Bombers game, joke about how hot that chick in Physics class is, and then when Robinson Cano hits his second home run of the day, you can call him a bastard, and tell him “If he does that again, I’m capturing your little sister.”
That type of hatred.
So here we are, in a 2-1 hockey series that has gotten the city of Boston more riled up in their pants than Hedi Watney. This town is excited for hockey. You know it, I know it, Herb Brooks knows it and now Mark Ellis’ face knows it (boom).
As for the hatred? Gone. Until now. Here are 10 reasons why you, the Bostonian, should hate Buffalo, which, according to these reasons, sucks ass. Enjoy.
There’s no doubt Beantown has seen its fair share of sluggers through the years.
From Babe in the ‘10’s, to Teddy Ballgame in the ‘50’s, to Manny being Manny in the ‘00’s - the hometown team has always had at least one guy in the starting nine popping dingers over the Green Monster and onto Lansdowne Street.
Many of them have even earned a place in Cooperstown.
But what about those that have yet to hang up the cleats? As crazy as it sounds, Kevin Youkilis, Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia all have a chance to be remembered in the annals of Fenway.
But before we figure out where they rank, let’s take a look at the throwbacks, the guys who paved the road for the current gang in the Hub.
Babe Ruth:
Way back in the 1910’s, George Herman “Babe” Ruth roamed the confines of the relatively new Fenway Park. The young pitcher/ right fielder was scouted as being a below average fielder, but it was the big lefty’s bat that made all the difference.
After a relatively quiet first five years with the BoSox, Ruth broke out in 1919. In 130 games, Ruth hit .322, belted an unheard of at the time 29 home runs and knocked in 114 runs. But that offseason, Ruth was traded to…well, we won’t go there.
Raised with movies like Scarface and books like the Lord of the Rings, we were taught that an ending is supposed to be glorious. Guns blazing, horns blaring - a finale is supposed to be epic.
Same thing goes for the closing of a sports career. By right, it should be a culmination of a years of work, complete with standing ovations, confetti, horns - the works.
But the truth is, it rarely works out like that.
Just ask Allen Iverson, who was recently released by the 76ers, a move that has been figured by most to be a long time coming. Iverson was in the midst of attempting to revitalize his 13 year career, 10 of which were spent annihilating defenses in Philadelphia.
But after a failed stint in Denver, a mishap in Detroit and a misstep with the Grizzlies, Iverson appears to be done - finally.
Even Michael Jordan, Mr. Basketball himself, ended one of the greatest careers in NBA history with a finale that was far from epic. Jordan left Chicago with every intention of leaving the game, only to return with the Washington Wizards, a sequel that proved to be just as fruitful as The Sandlot 2.
The same goes for the great Emmit Smith, who after years of punishing defenses with the Cowboys left for Arizona for a year and fizzled to nothing. The list goes on and on - athletes who suffered ends that never came close to doing their careers justice. Cam Neely, Joe Montana, and now Iverson.
As for the city of Boston? We're no stranger to the art of smothered endings. From Drew Bledsoe to Mo Vaughn, Beantown has been the home of many a fizzled career. Here's a look at some standouts.
It didn’t take very long – three months and five days to be exact – but Tiger Woods is finally back.
On March 15, 2010, the troubled superstar formally announced that he will be making his return to the game of golf during this years’ Masters tournament, held April 8-11. It’s an announcement that was anticipated by some, expected by most but no doubt heard by all.
And that’s because for the greater part of the past three months, the news wire has been filled with Tiger’s name. It all started on that fateful night when he was pulled from his 2009 Cadillac SUV after striking a fire hydrant, and it only got worse from then on.
All sorts of accusations stemmed from the crash – many proven to be true, but all lending a hand in Tiger’s fall from grace. Now, after being linked sexually with as many as 20 women, his legacy has been tarnished, his image shattered and his life changed forever.
And here’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for.
We’ve waded through JD Drew, Jose Iglesias and Marco Scutaro. But what about Papi? What about Lowell? Ellsbury? Wakefield and Buchholz?
Patience, young ones.
Without further ado, I present to you the real top questions facing the Sox this season. Numbers 1-10. The questions that will make or break Boston’s Boys of Summer. Feel free to comment, question or be angry below. I'd love to see what you think and why you're wrong.
Enjoy.
10. How will the move to left field effect Jacoby Ellsbury? Should he be offended? (Greg; Townsend, Mass.)
It really shouldn’t offend or affect him at all. What it will do, however, is make left field at Fenway a very difficult place to get hits.
Jason Bay was a very solid fielder – not much range, but if he got to the ball, he was going to catch it. Jacoby on the other hand, has all the range in the world, and should look like Carl Crawford flying around out there.
He’s going to turn a lot of bloop-singles into outs, and the fact that left fielders already play in close in Fenway because of the Monster makes it that much more exciting of a prospect.
Cameron’s a proven glove-man in center field. And the move to left for Jacoby really shouldn’t hurt him at all - it's an overall great move for the Sox. And it’s not as if he’s transitioning from catcher to right field. The two positions are almost exactly the same, only he has less ground to cover and a shorter throw to the infield – both of which should help him more than hurt him.
And what does that mean? Plenty of excitement, plenty of worried Sox fans and plenty of questions.
Only this time, it also means plenty of answers.
And that’s because of the 50-some-odd questions I’ve been emailed, texted, sexted, facebooked, i-chatted (and every other form of communication you can think of) over the past week, I’ve taken the top 20 and thrown them all down here.
Ranked bottom to top, here are the top 20 things, you, the fans, want to know as we roll our calendars into April.
So here goes: questions 11-20 heading into the 2010 season. The top ten will be out shortly, don’t you worry. But in the meantime, you can rest easy knowing that at least these ten worries have been addressed. It’s the least I can do.
20. Did Boston win or lose this offseason? (Ben; Tyngsboro, MA)
Considering what their options were, I’d say they won out. There really weren’t any big shiny names out there, aside from Jason Bay and Matt Holliday, both of whom in the Sox opinion were big injury risks and way too expensive.
Instead, Boston took a look at what was available, and made the absolute best with the situation. Instead of worrying about grabbing a high-priced (and probably overvalued) left fielder, they snagged the best pitcher on the market in John Lackey.
Not to mention the severe upgrades on defense Mike Cameron and Adrian Beltre supply them. Because as much as we hate to admit it, Lowell is done. Watching him try to move around and field at third base might just be the most painful thing I’ve done in a while.
If Teddy Williams was the father of baseball, Nomar was the son.
He was the son of baseball, and everything that was the Boston Red Sox.
Pedro had his run in the late 90’s. Varitek had his time at the top in the early 2000’s. Heck, even big Mo Vaughn enjoyed his time at the pinnacle of Red Sox Nation a while back.
But nobody since the great ‘Gold Dust Twins’meant what Nomar Garciaparra did to the city of Boston when he was here.
No one.
Because from 1996 straight up until 2004, number five was all that was Boston, all that was Red Sox and everything in between.
People remember he was big time in this city – and I mean big time. But what some people might not remember is that ‘Nomah’ inspired a culture. He was Jesus in a Red Sox uniform. He made a run at Teddy Ballgame’s unheralded batting title. He even inspired an entire string of SNL skits.
But more importantly, he was the baseball hero the city of Boston had been praying for, ever since The Rocket landed on Fenway dirt.
But in 2004, Garciaparra’s magical time in Boston had met its end. He would be traded away in exchange for a shortstop that contributed to what the Red Sox made clear was their ultimate goal – a World Series Title.
But it didn’t matter; Nomar Garciaparra had forever engrained his name - as (wicked) long as it is - in Boston history books forever.
And as he finally hangs up the cleats for good, we take some time to remember the top 12 Nomar moments - in chronological order - since he graced Major League Baseball with his presence back in 1996. Enjoy, and try to hold your tears until the end.
In this day and age, few things are for certain in baseball.
Every year, you know the Yankees are going to spend their money. And every year, you know Manny Ramirez will do something shockingly stupid (and even as I say that, last year’s debacle was still a bit over the top, even for him.)
Ichiro’s going to get some hits, Albert’s going to get some big ones and Linecum is going to strike some people out. You could even throw in a Milton Bradley ejection or two if you’re feeling lucky. But after that, it’s all a crapshoot.
Heck, you blink once and Roy Halladay’s wearing red instead of blue, Manny Ramirez is wearing blue instead of red, and through it all, Joe Torre’s traded in his pinstripes.
Even Mr. Consistency himself, Joe Mauer, isn’t immune to baseball’s changing ways.Having played with the Twins since 2004, the Minnesota native’s contract is running thin, and uncertainly about his future lies ahead.
Will he continue to rake in the Twin Cities? Or will he bring his one-man hitting-clinic elsewhere?
Nobody is sure, but one thing will always reign true about Mauer, no matter where he winds up.
Yes, there’s the hitting. But there are also the sideburns.
Mauer’s side-hair has become just as much a staple in Major League baseball as his perfect swing, both having etched him into the hearts of baseball fans everywhere.
The ‘burns’ have even become so popular, they’ve inspired ‘Sideburn Night,’ a night where fake sideburns are handed out at the Metrodome, giving each fan a chance to feel the power that is the ‘burn.’
Not even the old Yankee Stadium could withstand the test of baseball-time. But Mauer? He still hits. And his burns? They still grow.
But he’s not alone. There are others, too, who keep baseball tradition alive through their facial forests.
In a game where little is the same as it was, names like Rollie Fingers, Goose Gossage and Kevin Kelly live on through Mauer and his facial-haired compadres.
So who are these men who carry on the torch of baseball past as it enters these curious and changing times?
Let’s take a look:
Clay Zavada, Diamondbacks– If you haven’t heard his name yet, you will soon. This 25-year old lefty from Arizona has taken the baseball facial-world by storm, bringing home last year’s “Mustached American of the Year,” a yearly award presented by the American Mustache Institute.
He may not be able to blow hitters away with his fastball, and he might working on adding a cutter to his repertoire – but as long as he keeps that lip-garden, fame will find it impossible to elude him.
Dustin McGowan, Blue Jays – If Zavada took mustache to a whole new level, this guy has done the same to the sideburn. If he could pitch as well as Mauer could hit, this article might be featuring him – but instead, he finds himself only mentioned, which is still quite an honor.
McGowan was born in 1982, and was drafted right out of high school in the year 2000. Since then, the right-handed reliever has brought a hard slider and a pair of burns that are enough to strike fear into the heart of any hitter.
Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox– Speaking of fear, is there no man that can cause a pitcher to sweat more than Kevin Youkilis?
The Sox first baseman is not only infamous for working pitchers late into counts, but he also has a stare that weakens knees. Not to mention that souped-up goatee that has recently found its way onto Youkilis’s chin.
A lot of players can hit 30 home runs. Even more can post a .300 average. But how many can pull off the mountain-man look? Not many. But Youk does it with pride.
Ryan Franklin, Cardinals– Last season, a mustache-growing fad swept through the Cardinals organization like wildfire. Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Rick Ankiel – they all grew out their face-buddies. But not Franklin.
No, Franklin’s face-real-estate was already occupied - by something.
Nobody’s really sure what to call it, but whatever it is, it looks like its straight out of the Civil War. General Lee would be proud.
And the Cardinals? They’re okay with it, as long as he keeps saving games. Last season Franklin and his Partner posted a spectacular 1.92 ERA and 38 saves.
Not bad for a two-man effort.
Jason Giambi, Rockies– No facial-hair centered baseball article would be complete without mention of Jason Giambi and his famous ‘stache.
Much like Mauer’s ‘Sideburn Nights,’ Giambi inspired a sweeping revelation of his own, as the Yankees handed out fake moustaches in an effort to get Giambi voted into the 2008 All Star Game. It didn’t work, but it did begin a revolution.
One year later and the Twins were handing out sideburns to commemorate Joe Mauer. Does the sweet-swinging catcher owe it all to Giambi? Most likely. After all, the success is proven. In 2008, Giambi began the season batting .236. One mustache later, and Giambi slugged 32 homers and 96 RBI in the very same season.
Behold, the hair.
Jorge Cantu, Marlins – Here’s a name you might not associate with facial hair. But throughout his career, Cantu has always sported some sort of look with the whiskers.
His career started in Tampa Bay, where he featured a soul-patch and a mini goatee. Then in Cincinnati, he lost the bottom parts and went straight mustache.
With the Marlins? Super-combination. Cantu’s grown it all back out, and looks all the finer. Nothing wrong with a little trial and error.
Honorable Mentions:
Johan Santana, Mets– Perfection.
Just as he has on the mound with a baseball, it appears Santana has become a wizard with the razor. At the moment, the 2004/2006 Cy Young award winner features a goatee that’s as finely tuned as his change-up.
Adrian Gonzalez, Padres– Similar to Santana, Gonzalez sports a goatee that compliments his swing – sweet and perfect. It seems the two of them have a career in hair-styling should their athleticism ever fall short – though I wouldn’t bet on that happening anytime soon.
Todd Helton, Rockies– He’s become just as much a staple in baseball as having the bases 90-feet apart. And he’s rocked the beard the entire time.
The 5-time All Star, 3-time Gold Glove winner has featured his grizzly beard ever since he came up as a youngster, and though his success has never been officially attributed to it, speculation certainly surfaces now and then.
I mean - look at that picture. Facial hair, cowboy hats, over-excited-kids, American Flags - what's not to love?
For every Joe Montana, there is a Scott Norwood. And for every Tom Brady, there is a Rich Gannon. It’s an unfortunate and unavoidable element of pro sports – for every success story, there is an equally emotional story of complete and utter failure.
It was no different in Super Bowl XLIV, when Hank Baskett impeccably etched his name in Super Bowl Goat history, as he failed to reel in a crucial onside kick to open up the second half. The Saints gained possession, as well as the momentum, and went on to trounce the heavily favored Colts, 31-17.
But where does Baskett rank among the great Super Bowl Goats of the past? Surprisingly, not that high. Turns out Mr. Baskett’s blunder wasn’t nearly the worst thing to happen on the Big Stage.
10. Rich Gannon,Raiders, Super Bowl XXXVII;We all knew Tampa Bay’s defense was tremendous. But Rich Gannon made them look like utterly unstoppable.
Gannon, the regular season MVP, turned in a performance that was in every way possible the exact opposite – getting sacked five times, fumbling once and throwing a Super Bowl record five interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns.
Tampa Bay went on to route Oakland 48-21, a game which the Raiders came into favored by four points.
9. Hank Baskett, Colts, Super Bowl XLIV; It may have only been the beginning of the third quarter – but it absolutely cost the Colts the game.
Football has and always will be a sport that is the ultimate team-based game – 11 vs 11 each and every play, depending on all individuals to make an equally substantial effort.
So that’s why there is no excuse for Hank Baskett’s effort on New Orleans’ half-opening onside kick. He plays the position for a reason – not to mention he’s a wide receiver – and fumbling around an onside kick is an inexcusable blunder, especially on such a huge stage.
But it’s obvious the Saints knew what they were dealing with. They had been practicing it all week, and knew exactly whom they would be kicking it at. If it’s any consolation however, Baskett is married to Play Boy model Kendra Wilkinson.
You win some, you lose some.
8. Donovan McNabb, Eagles, Super Bowl XXXIX;We all remember John Elway’s drive. We all remember Joe Montana’s drive. And we all remember Tom Brady’s drive(s). But unfortunately for Donovan McNabb, we also all remember the Eagle’s drive.
Trailing New England 24-14 with just under six minutes left in the game, the Eagles had a chance to begin a comeback. But instead of putting the pedal to the metal, McNabb gingerly lead a four-minute scoring drive that ultimately resulted in the Eagles’ demise.
The reason for the unsightly speed of the crucial drive? McNabb was dry-heaving in the huddle.
Not to mention he tossed three interceptions over the course of the loss, a game that saw the Eagles finish just shy of the Patriots, 24-21.
7. John Kasay, Panthers, Super Bowl XXXVIII;A rare Super Bowl game where both kickers will be remembered forever; Adam Vinateriri for his game-winner with seconds remaining, and John Kasay for giving the Patriots possession on the 40-yard line six plays later.
Kasay committed a Cardinal sin on the kickoff following Carolina’s game tying drive, and with just over a minute left in the game, booted the kick straight out of bounds, resulting in a flag – and a New England possession on the 40-yard line.
Brady already had a reputation for having ice-water in his veins in the final minutes. This time, he was given possession of the ball just 30-yards out of Vinateiri’s range; an opportunity number 12 wouldn’t let slip away. One minute after Kasay’s mis-kick, the Patriots took home their second Super Bowl in three years, downing Carolina 32-29.
6. Eugene Robinson, Falcons, Super Bowl XXXIII;It was not a good Super weekend for the Falcons’ strong safety. He had a reputation for being a man of faith as well as one who always valued the community over himself – but prior to the Super Bowl, Robinson was arrested on charges of soliciting an undercover police officer for oral sex.
Atlanta Coach Dan Reeves played Robinson anyway, who responded by blowing two crucial coverage’s during the game, including an 80-yard touchdown strike to Rod Smith. The touchdown put Denver ahead 17-3, as they went on to rout Atlanta 34-19.
5. Neil O’Donnel, Steelers, Super Bowl XXX;You wouldn’t know it by looking at his final numbers – 28-49 and 239 yards – but Neil O’Donnel’s Super Bowl effort made Rich Gannon’s look Montana-esque.
The Steelers quarterback threw quite possibly two of the worst interceptions in Super Bowl history, resulting in a Cowboys win and an eternity of goat-ness.
On a third-and-nine from his own 48, O’Donnell threw a pass that was mind-bogglingly awful, landing 10-yards away from his intended receiver and right in the arms of cornerback Larry Brown. 38 seconds later, Emmit Smith plunged in the end zone for six. Cowboys 20, Steelers 7.
Then trailing only 20-17 with four minutes remaining, O’Donnell once again found a wide open Brown, who ran it all the way back to Pittsburgh’s six-yard-line.
4. Lewis Billups/Asante Samuel, Bengals/Patriots, Super Bowl XXXIII/XLII;
And again, for every Larry Brown, there is a Lewis Billups and an Asante Samuel. Because thanks to those fine gentlemen, both Joe Montana and Eli Manning are forever engrained in Super Bowl history, their late-game drives a part of the ever-growing Lombardi Trophy legacy.
For Billups it came early in the final quarter, when Montana’s end zone attempt for John Taylor landed squarely in the Bengals’ cornerback’s hands. Unfortunately, like a child trying to catch a butterfly, Billups let the chance of a lifetime clunk, slip and drop from his fingertips. Montana then hit Rice for six on the next play, tying the game at 13. San Francesco went on to win 20-16.
Samuels’ folly however, was much more immediately damaging. Eli Manning was in the process of leading the Giants on an improbable game-winning drive against the 18-0 Patriots, when Samuel let an easy interception slip through his fingertips like a fish, allowing the G-men to maintain possession. A few plays and a David Tyree miracle later, and the Giants defeated the undefeatable, 17-14.
But like the old adage says; if they had hands, they’d play wide receiver.
