Hello,
My appreciation for Tony Romo continues to increase. Originally it was thought that he had two fractured ribs, now it has been determined he had one fractured rib. But along with the fractured rib, he has a punctured lung. I'm not a doctor, but it seems a fractured rib would hurt a lot and that a punctured lung could cause so many issues. He was offered pain medicine during the game Sunday, but turned it down. Again if you are a Tony Romo fan or not you've got to have a great deal of admiration for him. He really stepped it up on Sunday. It reminds me of the players of old that seemed to play through almost any injury.
I'm still not a humongous Romo fan, but I love the Cowboys. I'll be cheering for them and him on Monday Night Football. The Cowboys play the hated Redskins Monday night. I'm not too scared of the Redskins, although they are 2-0. They've won both of their games thanks to smoke and mirrors. It's possible that Romo isn't going to be able to play that game on Monday. If he can't go due to his injury, you won't hear a negative comment out of me. The player's health now and long term should always be the paramount concern. The Cowboys have a fairly able backup quarterback in Jon Kitna, he was 6 of 10 for 87 yards this past Sunday.
It's going to take several more gutsy and clutch performances by Romo before I completely have confidence in him. When I'm about to think he's ready to take that next step two words come to mind. Those two words are Kevin Feterik. He played for BYU and always seemed to be on the verge of being a solid quarterback, but he never made that next step. Romo is obviously playing on a much bigger stage. When he's mentioned in the same breath as Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman in terms of clutch play, then I'll believe a Tony Romo believer. But as of now this comment from Jerry Jones still scares the hell out of me: "We are going to rise and fall based on what Tony Romo's about over the next several years, and I'm excited about that.”
I'm a big Boston Red Sox fan and I've been following their meltdown over the last few weeks. Needless to say it has not been a pleasant experience for me. Although Boston only leads Tampa Bay by two games in the AL Wild Card, I still expect the Red Sox to crawl into the playoffs. But once they are there, they are really going to struggle with their depleted pitching staff. They are especially thin in starting pitching.
Their first two pitchers that they will start in the playoffs, that is if they don't need them at the end of the regular season, are Josh Beckett and Jon Lester. Josh Beckett (13-5) raises his game when the playoffs start, he's the ultimate clutch post season pitcher. Then Jon Lester (15-8) is a young and upcoming pitcher for the Red Sox. With those two pitchers I feel good about Boston's chance in the first tow games of any series. However after that there are a lot of questions marks. I'd love to have Clay Buchholz (6-3 in limited duty) in that third spot, that would give me a lot more confidence in Boston's playoff chances. However he's been battling injuries all year. Today he's suppose to pitch a simulated game. There's two more weeks until the post season starts, hopefully he can gear up and help Boston. Obviously there's no guarantee that he'll be even able to pitch for Boston.
If Buchholz can pitch effectively for the Red Sox, then the hope would be that there's a long enough break for Josh Beckett to start the next game. Possibly Boston sweeps their first round series, while the other AL series goes 4 or 5 games. That would push back the start of the ALCS. Of course that's assuming a lot. It assumes the Red Sox can sweep a series against a team that's playing better than them. It's assuming Boston can win the first two games on the road. It assumes that Buchholz is healthy enough to be effective etc. etc.
Frighteningly the more likely scenario for Boston is that Boston wil have to have a 4th pitcher. Who would that be? Would it be Jon Lackey, he of the 12-12 record and 6.49 ERA? I think last night's game is a perfect representation of a Jon Lackey game. In 4.1 innings he gave up 11 hits, 8 runs but received a no decision. That's due to him having one of the MLB's best offenses behind him. Imagine what would his record would be if he had the Mariners offense behind him. His record would obviously be much worse. This isn't a Jon Lackey rant. I have nothing personal against him and I know he has been having personal issues this season. He also seems to be a gamer.
However he just no longer has A stuff and is more of a liability as a starting pitcher. Along with Daisuke Matsuzaka they will wind up as two of the worst free agency signings in Boston Red Sox history. Although Matsusaka is signed through the end of next season, hopefully he'll never pitch another game for the Red Sox. He currently is recovering from Tommy John surgery. Jon Lackey is getting paid almost $16 million dollars this season. He's making close enough to $16,000,000 that I wonder why they just didn't pay him that. With at most two more starts in the regular season and whatever happens in the postseason, he'll be paid over $1million dollars per win. Let that sink in for a minute.
Two more pitchers that may or may not be in Boston's post season plans are Tim Wakefield and Erik Bedard. I know the mid-40's Wakefield, who just earned his 200th career win, is a nice story. Also thanks Tim for all those innings you pitched this season when so many pitchers were injured. Unlike other Red Sox pitchers Wakefield has definitely earned his pay, $2,000,000 this season. But do you really want him pitching for you when the Red Sox needs a big playoff win? His record is 7-7 for a reason. Boston could also use Erik Bedard who came over at the trading deadline from the Mariners. Bedard is 5-9, Jon Lackey look at what your record might be if you had pitched for the Mariners all season. Bedard has also been battling injuries all season. In fact he's suppose to pitch today after coming off a minor injury. Do you really want him pitching a big playoff game for the Red Sox?
Boston also has other options, but they are too depressing too discuss. I just don't have much hope for the Red Sox this postseason unless one of those end of the rotation starters really steps up. The Red Sox have been battling inconsistency and injuries to their pitching staff all season. I'll leave that article to someone else about why the Red Sox didn't act earlier.
I was done with this blog then I heard this song. Do you ever have a song that sounds like it's describing your life. Hearing this song makes me think that Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers have been following me around.
Here's the video:
Here's the lyrics (the words in parenthesis really ring home):
She was on fire and wild and American
She burns it out probably just because she can
And if I had a dollar for every thing I should've said
I'd prolly still be busted, I would throw it all away again (my divorce and how I don't regret the divorce)
The lightening bugs light up all across the southern sky
Some guys get it all and they don't even need to try
I watched you roll away but you didn't even say goodbye
And now I hate the night, I'm guessin' that's the reason why
And this, this is my life
On the 4th of July
It isn't much, but at least it's mine
Got in my van, ended up in Boston
Thought about my friends and how easily I lost them
I'd do it all again, I'll leave everyone exhausted
Some folks get a break, me I never got one
I thought of you at night when I would drink too much (instead of drink too much, it's eat too many Doritos)
If you thought about me too, you'd never tried to get in touch
Went back to school and I ran into some guys I knew
We started up this band but we couldn't seem to get it through
We got some gigs, evetually lost that too
Did you ever think that if you're not happy it's because of you (this feels appropriate for my marriage.)
And this, this is my life
On the 4th of July
It isn't much, but at least it's mine
I got a job selling ads for magazines
At night when I'd play, I'd think about her constantly (not any moore (purposely misspelled)
Everything I loved somehow got away from me
And suicide, I talked about it openly (no that would be too dramatic, I hate drama)
I finally quit, or maybe I got fired, I don't know
It doesn't matter just as long as it happened though (this applies to my last job. It just doesn't matter if I quit or got fired as long as I didn't have to work there any more. Getting fired cleared a lot of things out of my life that needed to be cleaned out.)
Added up the fears and the doubts I've been living with
Songs of lightening bugs, school, work, and all that shit
And this, this is my life
On the 4th of July
It isn't much, but at least it's mine
I lost a girl sometime and a couple friends
Small talking parties I could never stomach it (ain't that the truth)
I'm old enough to say that I remember when
But I dont have the time for your nostalgia and criticisms (ain't that the truth again)
You live and learn, me, well I learned to let go
Parents and bosses and people who don't want you to grow
I think that anything that you want to you can do
And no one is going to tell me just who the hell I should sing to (this whole paragraph hits really close to home)
And this, this is my life
On the 4th of July
It isn't much, but at least it's mine (at least it's mine)
(x2)
(This mine and nothing, nobody is going to ever take this away
It's a blue print of your life
I'll see ya when it's over
It's a journey)
themusicaddict
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