Here's a FANTASTIC video of Papelbon and Youk "dancing" during the Celebration. Also thanks to reader Soxy6707 for the crazy Gif.

Dexter starts on Sunday night on Showtime at 10.00pm EDT.

In the premiere episode for season two, Dexter experiences conflicted feelings about his own personal morals following the death of his brother (aka ice truck killer). He's relentless, he's merciful and then, quite frankly, he's just damn sloppy when it comes to the preparation and rituals he usually follows when "Dexterizing" his next victim.

Debbie, his sister, returns to work though she's clearly not ready to enter the workforce again after her very close brush with death and Doakes is on Dexter's case and he's everywhere that Dexter looks.

Rita has questions.  Lots of questions... and if all of this wasn't enough to push poor Dexter over the edge, an interesting find at sea by treasure hunters is almost certain to tip the scales.

For all the Dexter fans, this is definitely not an episode to be missed! 

The Patriots are 3-0 and should be 4-0 after Monday’s game. The Bengals are not a good team and will be missing Rudi Johnson and likely their running game. At 1-2, they have given up at least 20 points every game including 51 to Cleveland. Repeat: 51 to CLEVELAND!! The Bengals defense is known for being porous, but also for getting after the quarterback. Regardless, Patriots 38 and Bengals 7, repeat score of last week. This should be the second of three relatively easy games.

1. Bengals Passing Game – The Bengals may be weak on defense and will be at a disadvantage with Rudi Johnson not being a part of the running game, the Bengals passing game can beat any team. The Bengals wide receivers, TJ Houshmanzadez and Chad Johnson, are the best in the league. The Patriots will need to limit them because they certainly cannot stop them. As for Carson Palmer, get at him and give him as little time to throw as possible. Give him too much time and he will find a receiver.

2. Quick Start – This is one of those games that you need to get out quickly and win it early. If you let them stay close, it could turn into a slugging match where either team can win. With Palmer throwing for Cincinnati, he very well could be the one that gets hot and then we will have a tough time gaining momentum. The Patriots are the better team, so just get it done quickly.

3. No Let Down – Week 4 of the season should be another win for the Patriots. They are as bad a team as the Bills or Browns so beating them is so important. If the can come out and play smart for the first half, this should be a good win for the Pats. Every game is important when it comes down to the final standings.

4. Bengals Runners can still Hurt – Do not underestimate how good the Bengals backup running backs will do Monday. They still have the same offensive line for Kenny Watson that they did for Rudi Johnson. Kenny Watson is still a very good running back. He can hurt us so shutting him down early should be a priority.

5. Win, No injuries – No kidding around with this game. The Patriots need to win and do it quickly and without losing anyone to injury. We have been lucky so far so it would be a shame to lose someone in a game that we really should win. Harrison will be back next week. All of the players on the PUP list will become available two weeks after that. Let’s keep these guys healthy and continue winning.

This year, my team has become a disaster.  Well, one of my teams.  While in one league, my team can be competitive, I have lost hope for the team I drafted with you people on Bostonsportz, in my running diary.  As some may remember, my first two picks were solid - Rudi Johnson and (ugh) Maurice Jones-Drew.  Actually, it isn't Jones-Drew, it's a two-toed sloth that is wearing "32" for the Jags this year. 

Those two picks have been the BIGGEST dissappointment.  I really thought that "Hey, given my 9th pick status, I am very comfortable with these two."  Now, not so much.  Johnson is hurt, and Slothy looks worse by the week.  The two of them last week COMBINED for 3 total fantasy points.  Now, I didnt leave a digit out.  THREE points.  Might as well take a punch to the stomach and a kick to the groin.

Now, I am 0-3 in this league, and I have never started that bad.  My other positional players have played well, but getting 3 points out of your 2 RB's kind of kills any other stats.  I can't go 0-4.  Cannot happen.  So, could Simmon's "Ewing Theory" work, now that I have Derrick Ward and Kenny Watson starting?  Here is to hoping.  I am playing Buddy, who is the ultimate trash talker.  I won't hear the end of it, should he beat me. 

In my other league, I am 2-1, even with Steven Jackson looking like a 3 toed-sloth.  I mean, just when it seemed he turned a corner, boom, injury.  My biggest coup in that draft was Jason Witten, who I didn't even want.  I wanted Vernon Davis and was pissed.  Man, do I feel good about how that happened.  This week though, I play my friend Andy, who is STACKED.  He has LT, Adrian Peterson, Carson Palmer, TO (who I traded to him), and so on....I mean, how did he get this stacked?  I can't believe it!  Can we get a commisioner's ruling on this??

Few tidbits:

1.  I could watch that Mike Gundy clip all day and still stand in shock and amazement each time.

2.  Hope Solo was right.  She WOULD have done better.  But soccer is awful, so let's move on.

3.  The Sox looked like they had a LOT of fun clinching the East.  (And when I say "Sox" I mean "Papelbon with a beer box on his head.")  What happens if they win it all?  I think they will loot, not the college kids.

4.  Gregg Easterbrook still needs a life.  Go figure.

5.  It is great to be a New England fan.  I don't care if everyone hates us. 

There were 5 great videos of last nights crazy celebration. BUT THEY HAVE BEEN PULLED so I found this one instead.

Here are some great photos of last nights's celebration. Paplebon was crazy!

There have been many ideas of what to call Pierce, Allen & Garnett floating around. I personally didn't like any of them, so from now on they will be called The Big 3 2.0

Here is an interview with them from Celtics media day on the Big Show

Last week I was hoping for a bounce back week, but it was just ok. This week will be solid!

Last Week: 1-2-1
Season: 6-5-1
Key Picks: 1-2

Texans (-3) over Falcons - Quarterback Matt Schaub shows Atlanta what could have been.

Ravens (-4) over Browns - The Browns have showed some offensive lately, but it wasn't against a D like this.

Chargers (-11 ½ ) over Chiefs -Breakout game for LT & Company

MONDAY
*Pats (-7) over Bengals- Way to much O for the weak Cincy D.

*Key Pick

No one is safe from Freekin Willy's rants, not even the captain!

To celebrate the second season of Showtime's drama series "Dexter", creative marketing agency Pop2Life will be painting 14 US cities red!

Fountains in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, Miami, Denver, Las Vegas, Houston, St Louis, Pittsburgh, Phoenix and Indianapolis will have their water dyed red and those fountains will be running from dawn 'til dusk with all sites being cordoned off with tape promoting Dexter's premiere on Sunday, and if you happen to be in Times Square, or at Hollywood & Highland you'll be treated to 12-foot fountains specially constructed for the event.

Naturally, the first thing most of us will think of when viewing these fountains of gushing "blood" is the Dexter storyline - serial killer working as a blood-spatter expert for the Miami police...  Hmmmmm.  What else are we supposed to think?  But we have been assured by Showtime that the red was chosen as it is the network's corporate colour.

"Dexter is not a horror series," said George DeBolt, vice president of media and promotions at Showtime. "It's a series about a serial killer who happens to be in forensic police work. There is blood in the show, but we're not doing this to convey the notion of blood or horror because that would be off strategy with how we promote the show.

"We're not out there to frighten people," DeBolt further explained. "Red is an important color for the network. It's our corporate color. Whatever people take away from this is what they take away, but we're using the color red so that it's noticed."

Yeah, right... 

Lets hope that Showtime doesn't suffer the same fate as Cartoon Network and their campaign for Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

I don't think anyone in Boston will ever forget the terrorism scare they received as police inspected blinking boxes (that looked suspiciously identical to bombs) placed all around the city.  

"We are following every legal and city government procedure," DeBolt said. "We filed all the necessary permits, and we're not doing anything the cities themselves do not know about. This will be branded 'Dexter' and 'Showtime' so people will know it's a promotional stunt."

Sure sounds like fun, and if anyone is swinging past one of these founts of blood... Ahem.  I mean, these fountains of gushing dye that is not meant to represent blood in any way, shape or form, please take a pic and sent it in.

And speaking of people who just can’t move on - or move anywhere, in this case - Jonathan Lee Riches, a guest of the Federal Bureau of Prisons in South Carolina, has filed a $5 million lawsuit against Patriots coach Bill Belichick, QB/QT Tom Brady and wide receiver Randy Moss for “illegally spying on my life.”

According to Riches’ crackpot lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Boston, the incarcerated one claims his voice has “a rare pitch” that can be illegally recorded and sold.

“Since the 1970s, Bill Belichick and defendants have been in a vast conspiracy with video equipment to illegally tape anything and everything with significant value.”

Ah, your American justice system at workl . . .

Click to read more ...

Peter May of the Boston Globe was at the Celtics Annual Media Luncheon yesterday, and walked away with the grim, bitter warning all C's fans have been dreading:

Doc Rivers is still not only the Head Coach, but even with a roster full of future Hall of Famers, he will do everything in his power to ruin our title shot. 

Rivers will also experiment with lineups, including one with Garnett, normally a power forward, at center, and one with Pierce or newcomer James Posey at power forward. Rivers also plans on experimenting with a three-guard lineup of Ray Allen, Pierce, and Tony Allen, or Ray Allen, Tony Allen, and newcomer Eddie House.

"We have a lot of flexibility," Rivers said.

Some of you may not have paid much attention to the C's over the past few years (and if you're not a die-hard fan, why would you have?).  If not, you've missed out on the train-wreck-like beauty of the Doc Rivers coaching experience.  His flaws are limitless.  His gameday decisions are baffling.  He's almost too terrible for words -- you just need to experience the ineptitude to truly grasp it.  With everything he's done wrong over the past few seasons, his rotation management (well, mis-management) has been one of the most frustrating.

With all of the moves Danny pulled off this past offseason, Celtics fans were not only rejoicing because we had top-quality talent, they were excited because Danny had depleted the roster to a point where the rotation was virtually set for Doc.   This was a beautiful thing.  But, and this is unfortunate, Danny saw a need for depth.  I can't argue with his logic, or his decisions.  I like the players he's been bringing in post-Garnett.

This gets disastrous right around November 2nd when the season begins.  Instead of having a solid rotation where each player knows his role and what's expected of him, each player might be playing a different position every night.   Paul Pierce at Power Forward?  Why not?  Hell, we might even get to see Rondo playing some Center this season -- it worked for Magic!

A good coach would turn this roster into a deadly, terrifying unit.  A decent coach could get these guys to the finals.  Doc Rivers?  Maybe I'm wrong, and I hope I am... but when your Head Coach is salivating about the possibility of playing his Small Forward in at the Power Forward position and throwing out a lineup of guards..... well.... HELP!?!

Here is the first photo of SUPERBABY John Edward Thomas Moynahan with his cleft chin just like Daddy

OK! magazine won the $100,000 sweepstakes for the first pics of Tom's baby, which she donated to a charity.

It's tough to see his throwing arm, but I'm sure it's perfect!

Meaningless Heroes Trivia of the Week - Really meaningless, but it's the first episode of the season, so bear with me.  Anyway, Hayden Panetierre is the only cast member to appear in every episode so far.  Do you think it's because she's also the cutest one?  Although, she barely nudges out George Takei in my opinion.

Anyway, Heroes is back, and what have we learned?  Well, I'm glad you asked, gentele reader, because as usual, they crammed a lot into this one episode, so let's take a peek:

The Nerdy Guy from Memento has the Midas Touch -  Now, turning a spoon into gold, that's the power I want.  That thing would be on ebay so fast that heads would spin.  As far as this dude's role in the grand scheme of things, that I don't know, but clearly he and his organization are part of the bigger picture, and there is obviously some chicanery involved with Noah and Mohinder and this guy, so we'll probably see him again.  I just hope he starts turning people to gold.  A solid gold Mohinder would be on eBay so fast...

Hey, Parkman, Do You Get How Those Powers Work Yet? Okay, dude, you're smart enough to use your telepathy to figure out who is the "hostage" and the "crook" in your ridiculously easy cop test, but when you get home and ask Molly what's the deal with the psycho pictures she's drawing at school and she doesn't want to talk about it, you say, "Okay."  You don't have to talk about it.  You don't have to talk about anything.  Just read her mind, you dope.   While I'm on him, what's the deal with him being able to use his real name?  Didn't he do some detective work for the FBI?  Wouldn't they have some file on him, and maybe the NYPD would have done some research and said, "Hey, you're that guy who was reading everybody's mind a few months ago."  Wouldn't they do some background check on him?  Hell, you can google me and find out all kinds of crazy stuff.  They just need to start writing Parkman better.  The possibilities are almost endless with him, but he's such a goodie-two-shoes that they never go anywhere cool.  Maybe they have something in mind for him in Season 2.

Noah is Done Eating Crap - Now, here's a character they know how to write well.  Noah Bennet, a.k.a. Horn-Rimmed Glasses, gave it back to his boss at his job at Copy Kingdom, taking a stand for peons everywhere.  It shows that this guy may be on the right side of the law these days (or maybe not.  Who knows anymore?), but he does have a mean streak.  He's already proven the lengths he'll go to protect his family, and he will mess you up if you cross him.  I am very anxious to see where his story goes this season.  And I hope he keeps that job because that boss dude was hilarious.

Go West, Young Man - So, West is Claire's new love interest, and he has a super-power as well: the ability to wear puke-brown socks to gym class.  No seriously, it was pretty obvious from the beginning that this guy was going to have some power, so he and Claire can bond over that whole thing (Since she clearly needs help.  Her biological Dad was no help.)  But flying?  Haven't we seen that one already?  How about teleportation or the ability to spot an uber-nerd a mile away?  Oh, there's one.  His name's West!

I'm not really going to even delve into the big surprise at the end, because I'll end up predicting something that won't happen and look foolish (and I can't think of any funny jokes about anything else), but it was obvious that Peter would survive the big explosion from last season, and I'm sure he'll survive the three guys with the bad-Irish accents and be back in the thick of things next week.  As for Hiro trying to turn David Anders into a legendary hero, well, let's say he had that punch coming.  Man, that Anders is one funny dude.  I'm glad he's onboard.

And, as for Hiro's dad, Sulu, alas, a tragic loss.  He fell off the roof at warp one.  George, we hardly knew ye.

Until next time, Helixers, here's a vid about Hayden Panettiere and how hard it is dating me:

This is a follow up on when I wrote John Henry Is No Longer Homeless.

Well, it looks like that $16 million, 18,000 square foot mansion just won't cut it for our beloved Mr. Henry. 

The lot?  That's fine.  The neighborhood?  No riff-raff there.  The house?  Well, that's going to be a problem. 

It seems that after spending "heavily" to attempt to renovate the home, Mr. Henry is washing his hands of that run down, $16 million dollar shack of a home he just bought and is tearing it down.

“Oh my God,” said a stunned John Ford, head of Ford Realty, a downtown Boston real estate firm. “This could be a record-breaking teardown.”

McCourt and his wife, Jamie, spent heavily to renovate the home, but Henry has come to the conclusion that it is easier to start from scratch than to try to remake what is essentially a 1930s home...

Back to my original point;  It's not easy being John Henry... especially now.  The man has a $16 million dollar, 18,000 square foot dump he needs to deal with.  A wife most likely screaming in his ear that she's not spending one more night in that place, and if he thinks that a $16 million, 18,000 square foot mansion is good enough for their family, well, he might just find him self sleeping in the 5,000 square foot adjacent Guest House tonight.  PLUS, his manager is desperately trying to lose the Division, his GM's great deadline deal has cost his team a handful of games, his $20 million dollar slugger won't suit up and his Japanese imports are failing like they came from China.

So, again, make sure you make your way to the park, grab a few Fenway Franks, upgrade to the Souvenir cup, buy the novelty mini-bat and grab a cap or two for yourself... because Mr. Henry is about to add on a whole lot of money to the $16 million, 18,000 square foot mansion he just bought.

Did I mention he just paid $16 million for an 18,000 square foot mansion a month ago and he's already tearing it down?   

If you happened to wake up this morning and notice pigs circling your rooftops or perched up in trees, DO NOT PANIC!!! 

It's just that Eric Gagne has pitched two consecutive games without losing the lead (or even giving up a run)!

Frankly, I didn't know this was possible.  Good for you, Eric Gagne...  And good for you Francona for not giving up on Gagne despite the fact he's just a terrible, terrible pitcher.

 Now let's never let him pitch again... EVER!

Lost in all the excitement surrounding Gagne not being terrible for a night was the fact that the Red Sox were the first team in the majors to clinch a playoff spot for this postseason.   Worst-case scenario, we're the Wild Card team (which served us pretty well in the past).

Also, Toronto has really been taking the Yankees to the limit.  The Yankees poor, tired, depleted bullpen has been tested these past two nights.  Torre used 10 pitchers on Friday in a 14-inning Loss, and 8 again last night during an 11-inning win.  Keep it up, Canada!  The Yankees currently have a 5.5 game lead on Detroit for the Wild Card, so my dream summer of a Yankee-less playoffs seems unlikely...

This baby's coming down to the wire, but if Manny can get his lazy ass back in the lineup and Gagne can actually leave the game as he found it, there's no reason the Sox shouldn't win the division as well.


 

As we gear up for season two of the series Dexter, it's only right that we take a few moments to recap on season one.

There's nothing we like more than the opportunity to enter the mind of a serial killer and on a personal level, I think I've read everything that has been written on this macabre group of people.  From the Red Ripper to Jeffrey Dahmer to Fred West to Charles Manson, you track their history and you read their story and while Dexter is nothing other than a fictional character, there's something quite likeable and more "real" about our friend Dexter.

Haven't we all, at some stage, been disappointed in the legal system when the bad guy has been let off?  Well here is a serial killer who only kills the bad guys and, in the grand scheme of things, what's not to like about a serial killer that gets rid of the garbage of humanity? 

He constantly battles his apathy and confusion over friendships and his relationships with his girlfriend (Rita), his sister (Debbie) and his father (Harry), but he still tries to do the right thing and he has a strong sense of family. 

Did anyone else feel Dexter's utter desolation when Harry, the one man who truly understood his condition and helped shape him into the man he becomes, passed away? Or feel his remorse when he finds and then executes the only blood relative he's got in order to save the life of his adopted sister?  His feelings of betrayal when realising that Harry knew about the brother all along, yet led Dexter to believe there was no one else?  

Dexter does and says everything that we've all thought about at some stage in our lives but never dared to do and he's easy to relate to regardless of his needs as a killer.  He has a wary and bizarre sense of humour that has you chuckling; and in a dark, dark way he's 21st century's version of the champion for the good guys.

We have had two weeks in a row of blowouts against teams that we played in the playoffs last year. They were supposed to be tough teams but it turned out that they just rolled over. Now, we face the 0-2 Bills who are supposed to be bad, even worse than they were last year, and the Pats are supposed to win. The Pats are favored by Vegas to win by more than two scores so the Pats must not be complacent. If they come in hungry, they win or otherwise, it may be a game, much closer than it should be. I don’t see this team getting complacent anytime soon, 42-6 Patriots. It’ll be another blowout.

1. No Let Down Game – The Patriots just need to keep their concentration, play hard, and win like this game matters. Well, it does matter. A win over the Bills gives a 3 game advantage over them and a 3 game advantage over the loser of the Dolphins-Jets game. A loss would put the Bills and the winner of the Dolphins-Jets game a game behind the Patriots. At this point in the season, the Patriots just need to keep the winning going. Every win puts them in better shape for the playoffs.

2. Run the Ball – Buffalo has one of the worst front sevens in the NFL. Keep attacking them with a strong running game and the Bills will roll over. The Bills will only be dangerous if the Pats let them stay in the game. Play to the Bills weaknesses and dominate with a steady dose of power runs to go with some cutbacks and off-tackle plays. It would be nice to see O’Callaghan play all day at tight end.

3. Buffalo Defensive Ends – Aaron Schobel and Chris Kelsay are the two players that constitute the Bills defensive strength. Do not let them be a factor on game day! Attacking the defense with short passes and many runs will keep Brady in control of the game and keep Schobel and Kelsay from getting to him. Schobel and Brady know each other too well, even if Brady has only lost 1 game to the Bills during his tenure as Patriots QB.

4. Marshawn Lynch – Lynch seems to be the one player to be concerned about on the Bills. The rookie has looked terrific so far with 154 yards and 1 touchdown this season. He is the one offensive player to shut down right away. Get after and beat Losman, of course, but Lynch seems to be the one guy who could truly cause damage. The Bills offensive line has been one of the worst so perhaps a solid performance for the Patriots defensive line is all that is necessary to stop Lynch.

5. Keep the Winning Going – No trap games. The Patriots need to ride the wave of winning, beat the Bills and go on from there. The goal is to win every game, 16 regular season and then 3 more playoff games. If any team in the salary cap era could go undefeated, it would be this year’s Patriots, but the only way to do it is to take one game at a time. This week, that one game is the Bills.