As pointed out by the Projo’s Jim Donaldson and picked up by Deadspin, this has been a season to forget forRhode Island’s Big Four basketball programs. Friars fans still seem pumped about the future. Rams fans are a bit more restless. Bryant and Brown student bodies… well they’d like to have great teams but at least they’ll be sure to land a few all Academic All-Americans when all is said and done.

 While it’s been a write off season for coach Cooley in the Big East local college hoops fans can find pleasure inRhode Island’s Little East domination. In fact RIC can boast not one but two of the best teams in D3. Bob Walsh has built the men into a small school dynasty. The Anchormen will be making a sixth straight trip to the Big Dance. Talk of winning a national title is no longer just the normal rhetoric from young athletes that have no real connection to how they’re viewed outside of their own gym. It’s a real life goal for any of the local players that suit up each night in the Murray Center.

 Meanwhile the Anchorwomen have quietly put together the best season in program history. Marcus Reilly, recently named LEC coach of the year, has seen his team grow into a dominating force. RIC won a school record 24 games and will host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. Throw in the Salve Regina women continuing to play their way into the tournament and you have a large dose ofRhode Island flavor in the upcoming NCAA bracket.

 So take pride hoops fans. You may have to wait to get your one shining moment but don’t be afraid to throw your support behind the kids shining bright on D3 stage.

(Anthony The Intern)

Linsanity is the new craze throughout the NBA with players, fans, and coaches obsessing about this unique point guard’s rise to fame. Hailing from New York, I can attest that the Lincredible Jeremy Lin is putting New Yorkon his back while we go for the ride. New York needed this to happen and so did Lin. But is this going to last? Yes of course it will last; Lin played four years of Harvard basketball and translated perfect technique and opportunity to the NBA. Skeptics will have their say but another question that arises is how the Knicks will play together with Carmelo Anthony coming off his groin injury and Amar’e Stoudemire recently re-added to the lineup. Having Lin at point guard takes a lot of pressure off of Carmelo, and frees up other players for more opportunities. The Knicks have only hit the tip of the iceberg of great basketball. Carmelo and Stoudemire now don’t have to force themselves to play unnatural.

 Lin is not just a fad or a one hit wonder; he brings new direction to the team, not to mention ice water running through his veins while shooting three pointers to win games. Critics can say whatever they want, and can have all the excuses in the world to say how he will not be a good player in the time to come. As a New York fan we’re not worried about the time to come, just the next game. He isn’t worried about huge contracts or endorsements. He’s worried about winning the next game and frankly his drive and intensity or shall I say Lintensity is inspiring not only the Knicks but all players around the league. That’s what the Knicks need right now, a player who is playing for the love of the game and all of New York backing him up. I mean the kids been sleeping on a couch, someone get him a bed he deserves it!

- I know, I know football season is over and we should grab the suntan lotion, Sox hats, mini fans and shift all of our attention toFort Myers. But does the football season every really end? We go from Super Bowl to free agency to the draft.

The story that will dominate the headlines for at least the next couple of weeks is the status of Peyton Manning. The status of his health and his status as quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts. Owner Jim Irsay came out this week to say he would welcome Peyton back but made it very clear that the future hall of famer would have to restructure his contract and that he’d have to be healthy enough to man the QB position.

The sentiment among Colts fans during Super Bowl week was that it would be weird seeing Peyton in another uniform but they’d welcome another franchise quarterback in the form of Andrew Luck. My feeling mingling in Indy was that these folks are one of the luckiest fan groups in NFL history. No pun intended.

I grew up a Vikings fan. A franchise that has drafted exactly ONE franchise quarterback in the clubs first ever draft. Fran Tarkenton in 1961 (also drafted by the AFL’s Boston Patriots) Tommy Kramer, haha! Daunte Culpepper, lasted only six years. I am talking about a viable rock solid Super Bowl contending QB under center for more than a decade.

The Colts made one of the smartest moves of all-time in taking Manning over Ryan Leaf with the first pick in 1998. Sure Peyton has played Robin to Tom Brady’s Batman but can you really argue with the amount of success Manning has had in his 14 years in Indy?  Now it’s time to make another smart move and let Peyton walk so that Luck can take the reigns. How many teams have the chance to grab back-to-back franchise quarterback’s that could potentially turn into a 30 year span of dominance at the most important position in all of sports. Even a rational Patriots fan would have to agree that if a similar situation plays out here in a couple years it would be worth suffering through a terrible season before sending an aging Brady off into the sunset.

-        I like every other sports fan logged onto You Tube to watch Whitney Houston’s 1991 Super Bowl rendition of the National Anthem. I was also stunned when Twitter blew up about how the iconic event was lip synced. I didn’t want to believe it but SI.com’s Peter King spoke with former Super Bowl director Jim Steeg who confirmed that it was indeed taped a week earlier. I felt both guilty and smart when I walked around the newsroom breaking the news to my co-workers. I got a mixture of anger and disbelief but in the end we all decided it didn’t take away from the moment or her brilliance.

- As mentioned the big four in Rhode Island have struggled this year to say the least. As I write this PC, URI, Bryant and Brown have gone a combined 6-41 in conference play.  As ugly as this winter has been on the big stage some great things are happening on the D3 level. Big ups to theRhode IslandCollegewomen and the Salve Regina men. Both grabbed regular season conference titles last night and both will host when March Madness gets a head start with conference tourneys next week.

Although I am physically recovered from my week in Indy my mind is still on the mend. It’s like walking through clouds shaped like Wes Welker and Eli Manning.  Speaking of Wes, how about that drop? Sorry, I know it’s still a sore subject but I really think it’s time we all move on. Truth be told I was in the bowels of Lucas Oil Stadium waiting to rush the field and missed the now infamous not-so-easy but still got two-hands-on-the-ball drop. The timing couldn’t be worse really. I don’t mean the fact that the Pats could have milked the clock to under the two minute warning. I mean the fact that Welker still doesn’t have a contract. He’ll be back whether it’s the franchise tag or a new long term deal but how long does the drop hang over him and the franchise? I have to think another 120 catch season won’t be enough. Another big moment with Wes succeeding and etching out a spot in the NFL Network’s next “greatest postseason clutch plays” list might allow Pats fans to forgive and let him off the hook.

Another player taking a beating is Tom Brady. I recently read a great article about the football God’s and the Patriots simply coming back around to the other side of the Super Bowl coin. I don’t mean luck as much as standing on the right side of the fence when the inevitable Super Bowl craziness happens. For Brady it was the Tuck hit. The staggering difference of his numbers pre and post hit shows just how fragile the big stage can be. If the Pats win that game Brady goes down as the best QB of all-time. I had a guy argue against my theory last week at some corner bar in Woonsocket(don’t ask). I pointed out that he’d tie for the most SB wins of all-time, would have broken Montana’s post season wins mark and STILL have a couple of good years to attack every QB number known to man. Again, there is still time left on the Brady clock but he could have sewn up the ultimate QB legacy if he stayed healthy. It’s like my 8^th grade chemistry teacher always told me, “If its and buts were candy and nuts, it’d be Christmas all the time.” (Don’t ask)

(Steph The Intern)

- Wow! What a game today for Rajon Rondo! Season high 32 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds for a triple double! After watching those two heart breaking back to back losses a game like that is exactly what the Celtics fan’s needed to get back behind there team. I just don’t understand how they can play so well some days and so terrible the next. I mean honestly they lost to the Raptors Friday and beat the Bull’s today? The Bulls who are #1 in the Eastern Conference!  Hopefully the C’s can keep up that momentum for Detriot on Wednesday and the Bulls once again in Chicago on Thursday

-After another tough loss yesterday to Charlotte, Coach Jim Baron was in today, for the running rams show. After seeing coach on Thursday at practice and today for the show he seems focused on the St. Joes game this Wednesday @ home. They are having a pink out night to support breast cancer awareness. Coach and Eric made a few jokes about Eric’s pink shirt that he wore today. “Jumping the gun” on the Pink out night on Wednesday.  I have hope that the rams are going to be able to pull out a few more wins before the season ends. With a few more wins they could make to the A10 tournament!

My first media day. I have to admit I was a bit cynical about an event that’s more gimmick than the large press conference it was orginally intended to be. But the whole Super Bowl experience is fresh to me so yes, I enjoyed it immensely. Here are my thoughts as I nod off to the promise of four hours of sleep.

Most Asked Question: “Hey Rob, how’s your ankle” To his credit Gronkowski danced around that subject for one solid hour like a Prima ballerina on opening night. Gronk walked without much of a limp and he ditched the walking boot. I chatted with ESPN’s Adam Schefter who pointed out that it’s not Super Bowl week without an injury to over obsess on. Don’t get me wrong, the injury is a huge deal but your crazy if you think he won’t play. How effective he’ll be remains to be seen until we watch him actually step out onto the practice field.

Most Interesting Character: The kid from Nik Toons was funny but  the most interesting guy in the house was Ross Ventrone aka Rusty Benson on Twitter. I finally had a chance to catch up with the guy that has been a part of 21 roster moves this season and has been cut several times. Needless to say he is happy to be here this week living the American dream.

Funniest Moment: The German reporters asking Gronkowski why they call Sebastian Vollmer Sea Bass. I didn’t care about Gronks answer, I just love that Vollmer is a cult hero in his home country. Is he bigger than Dirk yet? Doubtful.

Local Connection: Two Giants are from New England. Providence native and Hendricken grad Will Blackmon and former Brown star Zak DeOssie. Will was pumped to see the Rhode Island crew and even posed with us using his own camera. Zak sang the Brown fight song with ESPN’s Chris Berman. Apparently it’s some kind of Super Bowl tradition between the two former Bears.

Final Thoughts: Like I said, good times. The Patriots seemed cool and calm. The theme of the week so far. We’ll see if the mood changes as we inch closer to game day here in Indy

Pats press conference number one in the books. Coach Belichick was relaxed and funny and his team seemed to follow suit. Bill even made fun of himself saying that Colts fans have been much more hospitable since the 4th and 2 incident in 2009.

If your wondering the Patriots will practice tomorrow, take Tuesday (media day) off, then settle back into a normal schedule. That will be the theme for a Super Bowl seasoned team led by Belichick and owner Robert Kraft. Stay loose and follow the process in hopes of capturing another Lombardi Trophy.

The Giants will arrive tomorrow and jump head first into the craziness that is Super Bowl week. Is arriving early an advantage or a disadvantage? Hard to say really but here’s a possible omen for Pats fans. The last team to arrive the Sunday before the Super Bowl and win the big game: The Patriots in Super Bowl 39

Our trip from Providence to Indianapolis took us through Baltimore. When asked we responded “Oh, we’re covering the Giants”

From the minute we stepped off the plane at the IIA it was apparent that the Super Bowl threw up all over the state of Indiana. I was trying to pretend that I was Peyton Manning walking through the terminal looking at hundreds of  Tom Brady jerseys on one side, hundreds of Eli Manning jerseys on the other. Both star QB’s being showcased in the Super Bowl in the city that I own in the house that I built. I had to shake myself out of it as I approached the escalator because I started to consider stepping off the balcony instead.

If your a fan planning on traveling out for the big game, the first thing you’ll notice is how close everything is. Bars, restaurants, hotels all within walking distance of Lucas Oil Stadium and the convention center. The downside of a smaller city is that it seems to be overwhelmed at times. We pulled up to the hotel and they told us they had no parking spaces available. The valet sent me with a map, a compass and a pat on the back into the heart of downtown in search of a parking ramp. Alas I found one after moving three blocks in one hour. Apparently blocking four lanes of traffic for buses around the stadium tends to clog things up at one in the afternoon.

Other than that the city seems excited to be the epicenter of the sports world for a week. Eli seems to be the favorite for the locals. Although the waiter tonight did say he’ll cheer for Brady for this one weekend. Then he spit in my food and laughed…

• The Patriots are now the favorites to win the Super Bowl. I have to admit, I’m not surprised after Tom Brady toyed with a respectable Broncos defense like a 15 year old beating on his nine year old step brother. That said I do go into this weekend with a ton of guarded optimism. Keep in mind the Pats have yet to beat ONE team that finished the season with a winning record. Sure they took out a bunch of 8-8, or in Denver’s case 9-9 squads, but a 12-4 Ravens team that won the best division in the league should be cause for concern. WillNew Englandscore more than 20 points? Most likely. Will the defense be able to stop Ray Rice? Remains to be seen. My prediction: Pats 31 Ravens 23

• My doctor says that I don’t have frost bite but I don’t believe him. Yes I am from Minnesota
  

  Trying to stay warm while representing SCSU

  and have endured colder nights in July, but as I get older the more I hate the cold. I have to give props to most of the national media. Peter King, Wendi Nix, Ed Weder all went hatless at Gillette Stadium. I opted for the St. Cloud State(alma mater) stocking cap. I looked like a cross between a parking attendant and an Eskimo but at least I was warm when I went live sometime after midnight. According to the smartest person I have ever had the pleasure to share a room with, Tony Petrarca, the forecast looks much better. If not I know where to find him

Earlier this fall I decided to write a story about Joe Paterno because I love college football and I used to cover Penn State. Now I work in Providence and cover Brown, the school Joe Pa starred for while perfecting the Wing-T 60 plus years ago. The subject of my blog post was my personal feeling that Joe should retire because at his age he constantly put himself in danger of being run over on the sideline. Who knew he’d end up getting taken out by one of the most shocking scandals in the history of sports.

As mentioned I spent four years covering the Nittany Lions from 2002-2005. I, like anyone that has been able to immerse themselves in the Happy Valley culture have struggled this week to understand the horrific acts of a once revered former coach.

I’ve never met Jerry Sandusky, he was in the background by the time I got there. But I do remember how much people loved him and his Second Mile organization. I did interview then grad assistant Mike McQueary during the ‘02 season. The same year that he told Joe Pa about walking in on Sandusky in the shower with a young boy. 

McQueary to me was in many ways what the Penn State program was all about. State College native turned PSU quarterback turned Paterno assistant. To be honest I always thought McQueary would be a head coach someday. Now he’ll probably get what everyone involved in this cover up deserves, a tarnished reputation and a lot of time away from football to reflect and re-check his morals.

I always tell people, with my hint of Irish cynicism, I was there for the worst years of Joe Pa’s career. Turns out I was right. I don’t mean the 21 losses in four seasons. I mean the fact that Joe knew SOMETHING was going on and did nothing beyond telling his immediate supervisor. It was that inexcusable, look the other way attitude that allowed him to stay on for ten more years and ultimately suffer one of the greatest falls from grace known to man.

After a 3-9 ’03 season followed by a 4-7 campaign many Penn State fans wanted Joe to hang it up. I remember driving to games on Saturday mornings and seeing “Joe Must Go” signs in people’s yards. He, being the most powerful man in central Pennsylvania simply said no. This time he didn’t have a choice.

Every season opening Joe Pa press conference I took part in started with the question “Will this be your last year?” Joe’s answer was always something like “I feel great and I still enjoy it but I don’t want to be like Bear Bryant. Retire and die six months later”

Here’s to hoping the 84 year old still has plenty of life to live and that he spends much of that time thinking about, and as he said last night on his lawn praying for the victims.

As the leaves turn and the frost begins to nip at your rose bushes (I took creative writing in 7^th grade) the air is filled with the roars of victory or the groans of defeat, depending on what side of the scoreboard your team ends up on during any given Saturday. One pass, pick or kick and your squad can still be in contention for the playoffs. This is the scene on many division III campuses throughout the country. Division I-A.. um excuse me.. FBS? You have to look through the muddied lens of corrupt recruiting, greedy bowl organizers and the latest cloud hanging over the sport, conference realignment.

As fans of teams, conferences and maybe most important rivalries try to keep up, schools are busy searching for the nearest life raft in a sea of uncertainty. This whole mess starts and ends because of the one thing that has long corrupted college athletics, money. And in the end the leagues, as pointed out by the great Yahoo Sports writer Dan Wetzel http://tinyurl.com/42ybpqm, have no one to blame but themselves.

Here is snippet of Wetzel’s article in which he points the finger right back at the conferences, including the Big East:

the Big 12 and Big East all but assured their demise when, back in 2008, they joined the Big Ten and Pac-10 to block a proposal by the SEC and ACC for a four-team playoff (a plus-one).

The commissioners, and the campus leaders they answer to, never saw a playoff for what it was – not just a better postseason system, but a lifeline that offered them the diversified revenue streams and competitive stability that could have helped assure their survival.

Another way of looking at it is to use the reverse of the famous scene from Good Will Hunting.

Big East Schools Looking to Flea: It is your fault…

Big East: I know

BESLTF: No, it IS your fault.

Big East: Shut up Pitt… I know

BESLTF: Listen to me Marinatto, it IS your fault

Big East: Don’t mess with me, not you Syracuse! (crumbles weeping into the arms of East Carolina)

The Big 12 in a second round of desperately trying to keep its league together has gotten much more proactive and told Commissioner Dan Beebe to take a hike. They’ve also poached TCU from the Big East before the Frogs even pulled out a map to see what town the University of South Florida is in. In response, it seems the schools are the ones pulling the strings in the Big East at this point as well, giving permission to Marinatto and crew expand to a 12 team football league. 

Notice how their has been little to no mention of the sport that gave the Big East its brand or of the showcase in Madison Square Garden that for many throughout the nation serves as the official start of March Madness. No, basketball has taken a backseat to the real money grabber on the gridiron. Somebody told me (so it has to be true) that Kentucky football brings in twice as much cash as Kentucky hoops. If Adolph Rupp would have known that he might be remembered alongside greats like Vince Lombardi and the Wildcats might have put more guys in the NFL than Florida and LSU combined. Such is the atmosphere of today’s college athletics. So get ready to trade in the Syracuse-Georgetown rivalry on the hard court for Boise State-Air Force on a crisp fall night in Colorado Springs.

The next step is where does this leave basketball only schools like PC? Do they sit by and wait for the commish to put them in a cozy, coast to coast, 16 team basketball version of the Big East. Or do they get proactive and get on board with G-Town, St. John’s, Xavier and other hoops heavy schools suddenly left out of the conversation in hopes of protecting their big conference brand.

In the meantime we’ll have to sit by watching the musical chairs that has become conference realignment. Oh, and get pumped for that Friars-Broncos showdown at MSG in March.

• Maybe the opening week of the season wasn’t a fluke. Maybe the baseball Gods have once again nudged that little black cloud a few feet closer to Fenway Park. Maybe we are all overreacting because Theo drove expectations through the roof when he started throwing around John Henry’s checks last offseason. One thing is certain, pitching wins in the postseason and right now Terry Francona has a Chernobyl like disaster on the mound.  In a short opening-round series a healthy Josh Beckett and Jon Lester should be enough to move on but beyond those two its Wakefield and the Lackey’s. Not a rotation to write home about. Despite the heavy sticks in the lineup home is where the Sox will be, watching the World Series, if Tito’s arms can’t get healthy and show some October gumption.

•  Did the PawSox make the playoffs or was I dreaming? Talk about a quick exit after six months of solid ball that reaped the franchises first division title in eight years. Not only that but because of the International Leagues backward format the Sox got only one home playoff game. Doesn’t seem fair. Then again, neither does losing your best players to September call ups. All reasons the minor league playoffs are a nice little bonus but not something fans are bragging about in corner bars and coffee shops

• What an opening week of college football. The day was must watch TV. So much so that my to do list had one check mark on it- Get out of bed, move to couch-One of the most exciting contests took place in the Carrier Dome where Joe Trainer’s Runnin Rams scared the bejeezus out of the always rebuilding Orange.Speaking of Trainer, his overall record (6-17) doesn’t jump off the page but I would follow the guy to the center of the earth and back. His kids play hard and he’s gotten some true talent to come to Kingston. New uniforms are also a nice touch.   

Much has already been written about the roller coaster recruiting saga of Ricky Ledo. (for instance this article from the great Projo writer Bill Reynolds http://bit.ly/o7zNSH) I admit that I have yet to meet Ledo or even watch him play in person but his long strange trip that led back to a recommitment to the Friars points out two things.

1) He really, really wants to play for PC. Ricky originally gave Keno Davis his word only to pull back after the sharks started to circle the Keno life raft. Once Ed Cooley was on board and started to make waves on the national recruiting scene it didn’t take long for Ledo to once again pledge his allegiance to PC. Reports are that he walked the halls with fellow heralded recruit Kris Dunn the same day the point guard gave his verbal to Cooley. He quickly tried to follow suit with a planned commitment press conference before his advisors held him back. Less than a week later he either told Team Ledo to shove it or got the green light from the guys behind the Ricky curtain. Either way, he’s back on board in hopes of one day soon reviving his hometown team.

2) Ed Cooley is like an elephant doing a cannonball. The splash on the recruiting scene is being felt from coast to coast. He and his staff have brought instant credibility to the future of PC hoops and he’s drawn praise from national pundits on an almost daily basis. (even the skeptics http://tinyurl.com/43bjb3w)  With Dunn and now Ledo in the fold, Scout.com has projected PC’s 2012 recruiting class to be the third best in the nation. Safe to say at this point, Cooley was a pretty decent hire.

I’m a guy. Guys love list. I love lists so much I’ve made a list of the lists I love.

1. Any baseball stat
2. Any Forbes list of greatest places to live, catch a cold, survive and atomic bombing etc…
3. SI.com’s photo gallery’s
4. NFL Networks endless supply of Top Ten Lists
5. Bleacher Reports Sports Lists

Speaking of NFL Network lists my favorite by far is the Ten Greatest Linebacking Corps in NFL history. Nothing says football like an hours worth of the games best head hunters continuely blindsiding quarterbacks and flattening running backs in the backfield.

In case you don’t get the NFL Network or haven’t paid attention to such things over the past three years, Jim Mora’s Saints were chosen number one much to the chagrin of Steelers fans. I personally give the nod to Parcells’ Giants. LT just flat out hating everyone that is not wearing a blue jersey is priceless. Most likely one of the reasons he also checks in at #8 on CBS Sportslines Top 50 Sports Jerks of All-Time.

Like a fly drawn to those sticky fly paper things hanging in my office, I mindlessly look forward to the first week of preseason football. Every August I drink it in. Different faces in new places, my favorite college player finally stepping onto the big stage, maybe a team unveiling new uniforms. But every single year I turn the channel back to HBO about one quarter into the action.

It’s like showing up to a Bon Jovi concert, watching Jon walk across the stage before handing the mic over to some cover band he just discovered in his cousins garage.

For instance, my thoughts after the Pats preseason opener against Jacksonville went something like this. Steven Ridley for Rookie of the Year! Who needs Tom Brady? Buddy Farnham for President! Now, Ridley may be the second coming and actually win

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One guy other than Tom Brady that the fans are waiting to see is Chad Ochocinco. So far we know that he looks good in a Patriots uniform and that his Tweeting skills are in midseason form. In his short time in New England we’ve learned that he doesn’t use his GPS, people hate that he drives a Prius and that he plans to live with a fan.

Speaking of which, this is an open invitation to Ocho. I don’t technically qualify as a fan but I do have a PS3 and an extra room with an air mattress. I will also agree to cook  one meal a week on the Turbo Cooker (greatest invention of all-time) and let you watch all the free HBO you want. Whaddya say Och?!?!?

As we sit in the midst of a condensed Patriots camp in Foxborough, I can’t help but think of college football. One bespectacled elderly soul in particular. Now New England isn’t what you’d call real strong college football country, but Providence can claim a part of one of the all-time greatest coaches. Joe Pa, before he was Joe Pa and lost his vision, starred as Brown quarterback/ defensive back in the late 1940’s. This is something I knew before moving to Rhode Island because I covered Penn State football for four years and Joe isn’t shy about bringing up the single-wing offense that made him THE man on College Hill.

Paterno’s legacy on College Hill is a blip on the radar compared to the iconic figure he’s become in State College, but Joe only seems to make the headlines nowadays by celebrating another birthday (84 by last count) or by getting run over on the sidelines.

Paterno’s latest incident, plowed into by his own player in practice,  put him in a sling and once again brought out the critics that feel Joe should’ve hung up the headset (figure of speech since he actually is so old school he doesn’t wear a headset) back when cell phones were as big as a Smart Car.

According to record, Joe once had the quick’s to return a punt 69 yards for a touchdown against Holy Cross. Now he can’t shuffle his feet enough to get out of the way of a wayward special teamer. Look, I think Joe should stick around as long as he wants but, despite the fact he’s proven to be tougher than a freeze dried Oak tree nut, he should consider a permanent move to the box. That way I’ll have another chance to interview him when he returns for the 100^th anniversary celebration of the 1950 Bears football team*

*Rumored

Since moving to Providence one year ago I’ve been accused of being a Red Sox fan by Yankee lovers and a Yankee lover by some of Sox nation. Truth is I don’t cheer for or against either team. I am happily caught up in the middle of one of the greatest rivalries in sports as a completely unbiased journalist.

 That said I was cheering like crazy for Derek Jeter last weekend as he completed his quest to join the 3,000 hit club. Love’em or hate’em you can not deny the storied history stockpiled in the Bronx through years of dominating the competition behind a collection of stars and a checkbook bloated by the biggest revenue generator in all of sports.

 Speaking of money and star power, Jeter didn’t get the deal he was looking for last offseason but ultimately his love of putting on the pinstripes every day won out over the extra three years $100 million. (granted you can make the argument that even the Yankees couldn’t afford to give a 37 year old with declining numbers a six-year deal) What he didn’t get from the Yankees he gave back 100 million fold to those of us caught up in the summertime nostalgia of this great game.

 I admit I got chills as Jeter’s career was officially linked to those that live on forever in Monument Park. I can read about Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio and Mantle. Jeter, I can see with my own eyes. I gave up having favorite players at about the same time I gave up pinning my pants (6^th grade) but moments, as they say, can last a lifetime. No matter what team you cheer for, DJ/3K is a day to remember for baseball fans from every town, region or nation. Maybe even Red Sox nation.*

 *Then again, probably not

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Have you every wondered why you’re supposed to yell “Fore!” after you’ve drilled a golf ball at an unsuspecting group of people three fairways over? I do, so I looked it up.

 It apparently comes from some British military term meaning “look ahead” and has been in use since the late 1800’s. Another theory has it linked to Gaelic, which fascinates me because of my Irish heritage and the fact that the only Gaelic I know is “I’ll have another Guinness, thank you”,

 I bring this up because for the first time since… well… ever I am golfing on a regular basis. I’ve always avoided the game because A) I have no money B) I hate getting outplayed by unathletic slobs C) I am poor.

 What changed this summer is that I’ve found a 9-hole course within walking distance from my house and here’s a change. It’s actually cheap. Also, I’ve found a playing partner of equal ability, the weather guy Pete Mangione. (by equal I mean we both go through about eight sleeves of balls in nine holes)

 So far so good as long as I keep posting my handicap at about 30 and I warn all squirrels to clear the trees along the fairway. So if you ever hit the links in the East Greenwich area and hear Fore! as a ball whizzes by your ear, don’t be surprised to look up and see me with a friendly smile and wave.

After taking a personal stand against the man I am back to the world of blogging. This is my second blog post since starting here at WPRI, first in nearly a year.

What have I been up too over the past 11 months?

One Word: Adjusting.

For instance, the slow driver is always a jerk rule. If you are driving on I-95, YOU are the jerk if you are in the far right lane but fail to move out of the way of a car driving faster than you. Never mind the three open lanes to left.

Also, green does not mean go here in RI. Drivers take the 30 seconds during a red light to read, fill out tax forms, dig for something in between the seats… etc.

More times than not the green light is not noticed until a chorus of horns reign down on the helpless sap holding up traffic.

Driving aside, this state has much to offer. Seafood, scenery, and a wicked cool accent.

I was also on hand to see the Pats win 14 games, PC go through another coaching change, and the Bruins win the cup.

Or as the Vancouver Green Guys would say “The B’s really gave the Nucks the gears eh”

So consider this the reboot edition of the Cheap Seats. I’ll be posting as we crawl through the rest of summer and football season fast approaches.

“From The Cheap Seats” is a sometimes sports, mostly inside look blog that hopefully sheds some light on what it’s like to be a sports reporter. Most of what I write is true in a round about way. At the end of the day I only ask, like the great general Maximus Decimus Meridius. “Are you not entertained!” Enjoy

Since this is the first edition from the Cheap Seats I’ll tell you a little bit about the road that led me to Rhode Island. Not my non-award winning career background, you can read that in my bio. I mean the actual three day road trip from the banks of the mighty Mississippi to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.
Being a native Midwesterner I am fortunate enough to know how to prepare for a long distance road trip. (I grew up 45 minutes from the nearest mall, up hill both ways)
My survival kit for the journey to RI included four I-Pods, six bags of cherry flavored licorice, thee cases of Diet Coke, and Roger my crash test dummy so I can cheat in the car pool lanes. Also, it’s always a good idea to carry the “10 Steps to Bringing Back Your Sanity” booklet found at most local bookstores. It comes in handy when you are fighting the urge to veer into oncoming traffic, brought on by the boredom of driving through Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.

Here are a couple of highlights from each state.
Illinois: Famous for Chicago and Abraham Lincoln. I saw neither. I instead got to see Peoria, known for being the seat of Peoria County, and Champaign. Known for having the school with a third rate football program coached by Ron Zook.

Indiana: A very underrated state that produced the great Larry Bird. I did not see Larry Legend but I did drive by Peyton Manning’s house. (psst. It’s true, he really does wear a Tom Brady wig while working in the garden)

Ohio: A wonderful place to visit if you have a government issued 29X Humvee. I lost my muffler and both shocks somewhere in LeBron land (Akron). The only state that has worse roads than Rhode Island (subject for another blog)

Pennsylvania: I used to live there and I had forgotten how truly beautiful the rolling hills of PA are. That is until I stopped at a gas station and somebody asked me “What ahr does da game start?” Ah Pennsylvania, the land where the English language went to die.

Connecticut: I have friends from Connecticut. None of them live there anymore. After taking a brisk 45 mile, four hour drive up I-95 I see why.