A pretty slow day in local sports today. There’s been some talk about the performance put on by Kobe Bryant last night at the Garden. While the outing was certainly eye opening, I share the feelings of my friend Shawn, who like me, is a long suffering Celtics fan. Shawn sent me an email simply stating:

It turns my stomach that the fans here chanted for Kobe last night. Makes me want to throw up.

Nauseating indeed. As Dale Arnold said this morning, Red Auerbach was not turning in his grave last night, he was spinning at the notion that Celtics fans would be cheering a Laker.

What’s next? Derek Jeter getting a standing ovation at Fenway after beating the Red Sox? Peyton Manning hearing the “MVP, MVP” chant at Gillette?
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Email of the day:

Bruce,

I was just wondering:

How many of our local Red Sox covering media members do you suppose are learning how to speak basic Japanese so that they can “…just do our job” in the post game club house?

Do you suppose the Globe or the Herald will hire an interpreter so as to facilitate their post game interviews with Matsuzaka?, or will that task fall to the Red Sox?

Will the Red Sox have to hire an interpreter for each columnist or will they be forced to use the same one? (no more ‘exclusives’).

Who will be the first media member to complain in print about the “crush” of media in the locker room?

Thanks,

Bob

P.S. I was just talking with Leslie Epstein, and he told me that Theo and his bride were married by a Shinto priest at the site of the original Bishutaki Steak House in Boston. Matsuzaka was his best-man. Let Gordon Edes know.

I would guess that the same amount of reporters that have learned Spanish so they can talk more easily with Manny and others for whom English is a second language. Players learn another language, reporters don’t.

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Seth Mnookin notes that Curt Schilling is doing exactly what Pedro Martinez did to the Red Sox, namely putting a deadline on contract talks and negotiating through the media. Schilling was also a major topic on WEEI today.

Bill Simmons has his daily on-site Super Bowl blog entry, and leads off by wondering why he’s never done a South Beach trip before.

Peter King handicapps the NFL Hall of Fame candidates, (Andre Tippett is at 3:1) and has some thoughts on the Super Bowl.

Deadspin.com reports that the name ESPN2 is going away and the channel is simply being morphed into the ESPN brand.

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Tonight

7:00pm, NESN – Sabres @ Bruins (HD)
7:00pm, ESPN – Georgetown @ St. John’s (HD)
8:00pm, TNT – Cavs @ Heat (HD)
9:00pm, ESPN – Duke @ Virginia (HD)
10:30pm, TNT – Spurs @ Suns (HD)
11:00pm, FSN – Oregon @ UCLA

Published by Bruce Allen

Automattician.