Tim Wakefield's never ending quest for 200 wins continues to never end

Please, just let it end.

Tim Wakefield once again took the mound in search of his 200th career victory. Once again he was somewhere between mediocre and terrible. Once again he somehow managed to leave the game with the lead.

And once again the Red Sox bullpen, specifically Daniel Bard, blew the lead and Wakefield remained stuck at 199 career wins.

On August 20th Wakefield’s quest for 200 wins was becoming exhausting. Now that it’s September 8th, it’s become unbearable.

It’s amazing how ridiculously important this stat is to Red Sox fans. Red Sox fans are so obsessed with getting Wake his 200th victory that Twitter exploded at Tito Francona for not trying to squeeze a five-out save out of Jonathan Papelbon in what was essentially a meaningless game.

So, here’s what I’d do if I were Francona.

The next time the Red Sox have a game like Tuesday, where they jump out to a 13-0 lead before their starting pitcher takes the mound in the 5th inning, I’d pull the starter and throw Wakefield into the game. If he blows a 13 run lead, he doesn’t deserve 200 wins.

Then, once he “earns” his elusive 200th win, they can give him a gentle push into the world of retirement.

Frankly, I’m not sure why people care so much about 200 wins. Chuck Finley and George Uhle finished their careers with 200 wins. 108 other pitchers have surpassed 200 wins.

But nobody in MLB history has finished their career with 199 wins.

Right now, Tim Wakefield is in a club by himself. Why ruin that by continuing to let him start baseball games?

NFL giving fans free access to NFL Sunday Ticket and NFL Redzone Channel this Sunday

It looks like I won’t be the only one enjoying DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket for free this weekend.

The NFL has decided to give away all of its subscription content this Sunday. That means free NFL Sunday Ticket for DirecTV subscribers, and free NFL Redzone channel for everyone else.

ProFootballTalk.com brought up the fact that people who paid for an NFL Sunday Ticket subscription have the right to call DirecTV and ask for a 1/17 refund since the product they paid $334.95 for (or about $19.70 per week) is being given away for free.

And I definitely would call, but according to my admittedly weak math skills, 1/17 of the $0.00 I paid for my NFL Sunday Ticket subscription isn’t worth waiting on hold.

The NFL’s also giving away SiriusXM NFL Radio to XM Select Package subscribers and free shipping for all NFLShop.com orders. I was shocked to discover that SiriusXM still existed. I just assumed they went out of business after I canceled my subscription.

The NFL says they’re doing this to thank fans (presumably for sticking with them through the lockout) with more football for free.

It’s the first thing Roger Goodell has done that I agree with since he took over as NFL Commissioner.

President Obama's speech bumps NBC's NFL pregame show to cable

If you’re looking for NBC's NFL Pregame show before Thursday night’s Packers-Saints game, you won’t find it on NBC.

NBC has decided that President Barack Obama’s speech about a jobs program that has no chance of ever being passed by Congress is more important than NFL pregame, so they’ve bumped their NFL pregame show to cable.

And by cable, I mean just about every cable channel imaginable.

From the NFL’s press release:

Due to President Barack Obama’s speech, four widely-distributed NBCUniversal cable channels – VERSUS, USA, Syfy and G4 – as well as NFL Network will all begin coverage of NFL KICKOFF 2011 PRESENTED BY EA SPORTS, the pregame show to officially celebrate the start of the 2011 NFL season, at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday.

NFL Kickoff 2011, which has been extended to 90 minutes, was originally scheduled to air on NBC but is now being preempted due to President Obama’s speech, scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET. NBC will join NFL Kickoff 2011 in progress once its coverage of the speech has concluded and VERSUS, USA, Syfy and G4 will resume their regularly-scheduled programming shortly thereafter. NFL Network will carry NFL Kickoff 2011 in its entirety.

The President’s speech is not expected to conflict in any way with NBC’s Thursday night coverage of the first game of the 2011 NFL season, scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m. ET and featuring the last two Super Bowl champions -- the New Orleans Saints at the Green Bay Packers -- from historic Lambeau Field.

NFL Kickoff 2011 will feature musical performances by award-winning artists Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum and Maroon 5 from a stage adjacent to Lambeau Field. The musical performances are part of the celebration to kick off the 2011 season and to honor the Super Bowl champion Packers.  This is the 10th consecutive Kickoff celebration to start the season and the eighth consecutive year the NFL has saluted the Super Bowl champions with the opening game in their stadium on a Thursday in primetime.

The 90-minute pregame celebration will also feature Football Night in America and Sunday Night Football commentators Bob Costas, Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Dan Patrick, Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, Peter King and Mike Florio live from Green Bay as they examine the impending 2011 NFL season.

On Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET, NBC is adding a one-hour NFL special to preview the season. It will look ahead to the first full Sunday of football, address the season’s major story lines, feature a Bob Costas interview with New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan, and show unseen musical performances from NFL Kickoff 2011.

NBC concludes NFL Kickoff weekend on Sunday, September 11 with Football Night in America (7 p.m. ET) followed by Sunday Night Football (8:30 p.m. ET), featuring the Dallas Cowboys at the New York Jets, airing at their traditionally-scheduled times.

So, there you have it.

Boston Red Sox playoff hopes rest on Josh Beckett's "sprained" ankle

Comments about the Baseball Gods hating the Boston Red Sox aside, I’m trying hard not to panic over this Josh Beckett injury situation.

The Red Sox downplayed the significance of Beckett’s injury Tuesday, releasing the following statement:

Josh was evaluated today at the Massachusetts General Hospital by the Red Sox medical staff, including team foot and ankle specialist, Dr. George Theodore.  Josh experienced pain in his ankle while pitching last night. His examination was consistent with an ankle sprain. An MRI was performed that confirmed no other injury to his ankle tendons, or his Achilles tendon. We will re-evaluate his symptoms and availability later this week.

That’s all well and good, but the Red Sox have spent the better part of the last two seasons lying to everyone about injuries. You’ll have to forgive me if I’m a little skeptical. Especially when you contrast the description of his injury in the Red Sox statement with Beckett’s description of the injury yesterday.

“I felt it on the second-to-last pitch. It felt a little bit different on the last pitch I threw. It was bothering me,” Beckett said. “It felt like it was locked up and then like it popped in and out of socket or something.”

I’ve sprained my ankle many times. I’ve never described what happened with the words “popped in and out of socket” before.

Fact is, even if the Red Sox are telling the truth and it’s just a bad sprain, it’s September 7^th. A bad ankle sprain takes two to three weeks to heal. The playoffs start in just over three weeks.

The sky isn’t falling yet, but the strings holding it up there are starting to fray…

Darius Butler the latest member of the 2010 New England Patriots secondary to receive his walking papers

If you thought the New England Patriots had a bad secondary last season, you're not alone. Bill Belichick apparently agrees with you.

Belichick has spent the better part of the 2011 preseason cleaning up the mess left over from last season in his secondary.

Veteran safety James Sanders was sent packing.

Jonathan Wilhite was quietly shown the door.

Brandon Meriweather was kicked to the curb.

On Tuesday, it was Darius Butler’s turn to get his walking papers. Butler broke the news of his release on Twitter.  

DariusButler28: Its been real New England. I was blessed to have a chance to play and start my NFL career here. But its time to open a new chapter. Thx #patsnation

In an ironic twist, Twitter then broke the news to Butler that he’d been claimed on waivers by the Carolina Panthers.

DariusButler28: #twitter is taking over. I found out I was a Panther from you guys 1st lol crazy

So, where does that leave the Patriots?

Devin McCourty, Leigh Bodden, and Kyle Arrington are as good a trio of cornerbacks as you’ll find in the NFL. Ras-I Dowling is a promising rookie who, if he can stay healthy, should make an impact this season.

Butler was, at best, the fifth cornerback on the depth chart behind Dowling. He may have fallen behind recently acquired Antwaun Molden.

He was an extra guy. Would I have liked to see the Patriots hang on to him to see if he could develop the instincts that appeared to be lacking over the first two years of his NFL career? Sure. 

I wasn’t quite ready to give up on the kid, and I’m still not convinced he won’t become a quality NFL cornerback. But he wasn’t going to be a huge part of the 2011 New England Patriots. So when they needed to release someone to make room for an intriguing young linebacker whom they claimed off waivers from the Miami Dolphins named AJ Edds, Butler was the obvious guy to go.

Patriots hoping to avoid a repeat of the Antwan Harris experience

Flashback: September 3, 2003

The New England Patriots had signed Rodney Harrison in the offseason, and Patriots fans had visions of him pairing up with Lawyer Milloy to solidify the back-end of what was already a pretty good secondary.

But Bill Belichick had other plans.

Belichick released Lawyer Milloy just five days before the start of the regular season. Eugene Wilson stepped in at safety, and after a small bump in the road week one against the revenge seeking Buffalo Bills (featuring Milloy, Drew Bledsoe, and the mighty Sam Gash), the Patriots dominated their way to the second Super Bowl championship in team history.

Belichick had a plan, and Eugene Wilson was it.

Patriots fans point to this when defending the release of safety Brandon Meriweather. The problem is, that’s not a completely accurate portrayal of what happened in 2003.

Remember Antwan Harris?

Antwan Harris was supposed to be the replacement for Lawyer Milloy. He was faster, he was going to be better in coverage, he was younger.

Then came week one, and Drew Bledsoe completely and utterly undressed the poor, over-matched, undersized safety.

Harris was quickly benched, and rookie Eugene Wilson was forced to switch positions. Luckily for the Patriots, Wilson turned into a pretty good safety.

But that certainly wasn’t the plan. I give Belichick credit for figuring out his plan was garbage quickly and changing it, but anyone who says “Belichick always has a plan” conveniently forgets the Antwan Harris experience.

Maybe Josh Barrett is the next Rodney Harrison. Maybe Sergio Brown is the next Lawyer Milloy. Or maybe they’re both Antwan Harris, and we’ll have to hope Ras-I Dowling is the next Eugene Wilson.

That’s my issue with releasing Brandon Meriweather. I’m not a huge Meriweather fan, I’m just not convinced anyone remaining on the roster is an upgrade over him.

And, short as it may have been, I really disliked the Antwan Harris experience…

DirecTV makes things right

Yesterday I expressed my annoyance with DirecTV over their giving NFL Sunday Ticket to new subscribers for free and ignoring the poor saps like myself who have been writing them checks for the last three years.

Today. DirecTV made amends.

After threatening to throw away my satellite dish and run back to Comcast, DirecTV came through with a discount and a free year of NFL Sunday Ticket.

So, I am once again a happy DirecTV subscriber.

I’m not telling anyone what to do, but if you’re past your two year commitment and you want NFL Sunday Ticket, it might be worth your time to let DirecTV know you’re willing to give Comcast or FIOS a try.

Couldn’t hurt.

The Baseball Gods hate the Boston Red Sox

Remember a few weeks ago when the Red Sox only worry in the world was how the heck they were going to get Tim Wakefield his 200th career win?

Ah, the good old days…

The Baseball Gods hate the Boston Red Sox.

They made their hatred of all things Boston perfectly clear last season when they broke Kevin Youkilis’ thumb, Dustin Pedroia’s foot, Josh Beckett’s back/shoulder, and Jacoby Ellsbury’s ribs.

But we all fooled ourselves into thinking it was just a ridiculous rash of bad luck.

We were wrong.

The Baseball Gods hate the Boston Red Sox.

When it’s September 5th and your best starting pitcher says "It felt like (my ankle) was locked up and then like it popped in and out of socket or something." you know the Baseball Gods hate you.

When Clay Buchholz somehow breaks his back with nobody knowing exactly how he broke his back, you know the Baseball Gods hate you.

When Josh Beckett, Clay Buchholz, and Erik Bedard are all injured and John Freaking Lackey is 100% healthy, you know the Baseball Gods hate you.

If John Lackey and Erik Bedard are battling to be your number 3 postseason starter, you’re not in an ideal situation. If John Lackey, Erik Bedard, and Tim Wakefield are your 2, 3, and 4 starters in the postseason (in any order), you’re screwed.

Forget a World Championship. Forget 100 wins. Forget the AL East. They’re all gone.

The Red Sox will probably make the postseason. Probably. But they won’t be there long.

The Baseball Gods hate the Boston Red Sox.

Extremely Annoyed with DirecTV

Perhaps annoyed isn’t a strong enough word.

I switched to DirecTV about three years ago because, frankly, the service is better than Comcast. I pay more than I paid Comcast, and I accept that. To get the NFL Redzone channel, I have to purchase NFL Sunday Ticket for slightly less than the cost of my first born.

And I begrudgingly accept that.

But a few days ago I saw a commercial saying that NFL Sunday Ticket is now included with my DirecTV subscription at no extra cost, so I was excited. I called DirecTV, only to find out that deal only applied to NEW customers. Not us poor schlubs who have been overpaying DirecTV for the past 3 years.

That, my friends, was the last straw.

Tomorrow I am calling DirecTV. If they won’t give me NFL Sunday Ticket for free, I’m switching back to Comcast.

Wish me luck.

John Lackey's John Lackey performance results in the Red Sox getting John Lackey'd

Another day, another awful John Lackey performance.

I think I can safely speak for all Red Sox fans when I say I’ve had enough of John Lackey and never wish to see him pitch in a Red Sox uniform again.

He makes me long for the days of Daisuke Matsuzaka.

He’s like Andrew Miller without the upside.

He’s like Tim Wakefield with a more hittable fastball and no knuckleball. 

At this point, I’d rather randomly select the name of a minor league starting pitcher and give him a chance to start in five days than throw Lackey out there again. At least them the Red Sox would have some element of surprise. Nothing Lackey does, save for the occasional 1-2-3 inning, is surprising at this point.

He’s not good enough to make $18 million per season. He’s not good enough to be a number three starter in the majors. He’s not good enough to start in the majors.

He’s one of the worst pitchers in professional baseball, minor leagues included. He’s terrible. He’s the worst pitcher I’ve ever seen pitch for the Boston Red Sox.

And I’m not certain I’m exaggerating here.

John Lackey is so bad that when he goes on an two or three week stretch where he only allows 4 or 5 runs per game people marvel at the dramatic improvement.

The Red Sox would be better off releasing him and either paying him to sit at home or pitch for someone else.

Or, at the very least, can the Red Sox please come up with a phantom elbow injury and give him some unnecessary surgery that will sideline him for…oh, I don’t know…three years or so?

Is that too much to ask?

I don’t care how you do it, just please, put an end to the John Lackey era…

Brandon Meriweather: Unemployed on Swole

Brandon Meriweather, we hardly knew ye.

The New England Patriots have parted ways with two-time Pro Bowl (cough) safety Brandon Meriweather.

Meriweather had an up and down tenure with the Patriots. He was a play-maker who made plays for both teams. He was just as likely to miss an easy tackle as he was to make a great interception.

He probably doesn’t get enough credit in New England for how well he played for most of the 2009 season, finishing with 5 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, a touchdown, and 83 tackles. That said, he probably doesn’t get enough blame for missing an easy interception in the drive that cost the Patriots an undefeated season in his rookie year or for his horrible play in 2010.

He had off field issues, he had on-field issues, and he was a continuous source of entertainment for everyone who listens to the Toucher and Rich show on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

The move leaves the Patriots with Patrick Chung, Sergio Brown, Josh Barrett, and James Ihedigbo as their only safeties.

Brown is the most likely guy to slide into Meriweather’s starting spot, but Barrett started the preseason finale against the Giants alongside Chung. Rookie cornerback Ras-I Dowling could also move to safety, similar to what the Patriots did with Eugene Wilson back in 2003 after releasing Lawyer Malloy. Leigh Bodden is also a candidate to move to safety, assuming they can find someone else who can cover inside, because Kyle Arrington has proven that he can’t do it. 

There’s always a surprise on cut-down day in New England. I’m not sure this qualifies as much of a surprise, but any time a two-time Pro Bowler (cough) is released it’s big news.

And hey, now that Meriweather is unemployed, he’ll have a time of time to work on his up and coming music career.