Daily Archives: December 6, 2010

2nd Shot At 1st For Pats On Monday Night

Published December 6, 2010

New York Jets' David Harris (52) stonewalls the Pats' BenJarvus Green-Ellis (42) at New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010. (AP)

The New York Jets' David Harris (52) stonewalls the Pats' BenJarvus Green-Ellis (42) at New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010. (AP)

With 53 seconds left in the first half, the Patriots looked like AFC champions.

Up 14-7 on the Jets, the Pats were in control and serving notice that New York hype couldn’t overcome New England history.

Of course, it was Week 2, the Jets owned the second half en route to a 28-14 victory, and the Jets proved the preseason buzz around New York was for real.

Tonight, the Pats look to rewind history and win a divisional game as big as any in recent memory.

Both teams sit at 9-2 on the season and are revving their engines for the playoffs. Thanks to that Week 2 collapse, the Jets are currently sitting in first place in the AFC East.

The winner of the Pats-Jets rematch will assume first place in the AFC. Should that team win out, they will be in line for a No. 1 seed, home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and a first round bye.

If you’re a Pats fan, you’ll watch with glee as Tom Brady targets rookie tight ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski early and often. If you’re a Jets fan, you’ll delight in watching the Jets running back tandem of LaDanian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene shred the Pats’ D.

Either way, football fans can’t miss this game.

Kickoff is at 8:30 p.m. What’s your prediction for Monday night?

How Well Do You Know Boston? 8 Trivia Questions

Published December 6, 2010

How well do you know Boston? Try your hand at these trivia questions, compiled in honor of Erin McLean, the Danvers native and BU sophomore who recently won the college championship on “Jeopardy!” McLean is our guest today on Radio Boston.

These challenges are written Jeopardy-style:

  1. This Boston building first became well-known when most of its windows fell out shortly after construction in the 1970s.
  2. This judge oversaw the desegregation of Boston schools in the 1970s.
  3. Linguists use this term to describe “R droppers” — people who say “pahk your cah.”
  4. Alexander Graham Bell was a professor at this university before securing his patent for the telephone.
  5. MIT fraternity brothers invented this non-standard unit of length as a way to measure the Massachusetts Avenue bridge.
  6. In 1770, this American statesman represented British soldiers tried for the Boston Massacre.
  7. On Sept. 20, 1960, journeyman Carroll Hardy became the only player to pinch hit for this baseball slugger.
  8. This famous children’s author was born in Springfield in 1904.

Think you know the answers, er, questions? Respond in the comments. I’ll update this post tomorrow with the solutions.

Big thanks to WBUR’s Dave Shaw and Jessica Alpert for helping draft the puzzles.

It’s Official: Adrian Gonzalez Is A Red Sock

Published December 6, 2010

Adrian Gonzalez said his lifelong dream was to play for the San Diego Padres, his hometown team. His second dream, he said, was to play for the Red Sox. “You always root for a National League team and an American League team,” he said, wearing his new Boston jersey.

The Red Sox formally announced the acquisition at a Fenway Park press conference. Sox General Manager Theo Epstein said there is no long-term deal in place but the contract extension is being worked out.

In five seasons with San Diego, Gonzalez has 161 homers and 501 RBIs. Including parts of two seasons with Texas, he has 168 homers and 525 RBIs. Epstein has been after Gonzalez for awhile; he made a run at Gonzalez before the 2009 trading deadline and again last season, he said.

Boston gets Gonzalez in exchange for three prospects, minor league right-hander Casey Kelly, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, outfielder Reymond Fuentes and a player to be named later.

“I think he’s going to be a monster in Fenway Park,” said Padres general manager Jed Hoyer.

Epstein, too, predicts Gonzalez will quickly take aim at the Green Monster in left field. “We think he is going to wear the wall out,” he said.

Gonzalez had surgery to clean up the labrum in his non-throwing right shoulder on Oct. 20, but he said Monday he’s ahead of schedule and expects to be ready for Opening Day.

Gonzalez said he always admired Boston legend Ted Williams, also from San Diego and also a leftie. Another thing San Diego players and Boston players have in common: “I’m … ready to beat the Yanks,” he said.

What do you think? Does the AGon acquisition warm your baseball heart on this coldest day of the season?

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The Associated Press contributed reporting. Don’t miss Jeremy Bernfeld’s great write-up from the weekend. Jeremy is covering the story today for Radio Boston.

Monday Morning: Pats Vs. Jets, AGon (Whew)

Published December 6, 2010

What’s news on a cold Monday morning with snow flurries in the forecast:

Tonight, it’s Bill vs. Rex at Foxboro. “You know what they say about opposites attracting, well as coaching styles go, they’re Felix and Oscar.” (Herald)

SI.com: The Sox finally completed a trade for San Diego’s Adrian Gonzalez, after it almost fell apart. The deal is believed to be worth $167 million over eight years. (SI.com)

The secretary of state wants the courts to sign off on all foreclosures. Bill Galvin will introduce legislation next month. (Globe)

Caseloads at the state’s juvenile courts have fallen sharply, perhaps as a result of a shift in strategy. “Research indicates that traveling in a van with shackles really does turn the kids on a negative trajectory.” (Globe)

A red tail hawk has been stuck at a South Boston MBTA station for a week. The Animal Rescue League is still trying to free the hawk from netting. (WCVB)