Steel Kaleidoscopes

Clueless

This blurb is a few weeks old but worth mentioning.

Organizers of the London Olympics reached out to the manager of The Who to ask if former drummer Keith Moon would be willing to participate in the Games' closing ceremony.

Um, Moon died in 1978.

Who's next on their list?

Elvis?

Fenway

On a cool spring night, the cracks of the bat came from the visiting team.

Yes, the Red Sox lost 8-3 to the Indians, no surprise in this season of discontent.

But a May evening at Fenway, conversation with an old friend and a few cups of beer make the game secondary.

Summer must be close.

Another Bunt Single

The pitch is inside, just off the black.

The batter squares and places the sweet spot of the bat on the ball, gently dropping it inside the third-base line.

The ball dances along the chalk, kicking up soft powder as the batter safely crosses first base.

Again.

Red Sox Group Dynamics

One of the classic linear stages of group development is forming, storming, norming and performing.

If the 2012 Red Sox fall into this pattern, they'll be OK.

But if they don't, it's going to be a dismal season of discontent on Yawkey Way.

New manager Bobby Valentine brings a different approach. The players, especially those who played under Terry Francona, are forming. They're adapting. They're learning.

But a 4-10 start, including five straight losses at Fenway, have the team storming. The outspoken Valentine is ruffling feathers. The players are questioning process. The clubhouse is not a pleasant place.

Will the Red Sox find their norm? If so, they'll perform. Clearly, they have the talent.

This is group dynamics on a national stage.

Pull up a seat.

Opening Day

In Boston, Bobby Valentine will lead the 2012 Red Sox onto the field for the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park.

It's Opening Day and, for a few hours at least, the Red Sox' 1-5 start is forgiven.

The early morning chill will fade to a beer-soaked, mid-Spring afternoon, the crack of the bat signifying the coming of summer.

It's a festive, historic day.

Play ball. 

Opening Day?

It's Opening Day for Major League Baseball but who could tell?

The Mariners and A's are playing in Tokyo, Japan. The game is on tape delay but who would be able to watch it anyway during morning rush hour?

The globalization of baseball is a good thing, but it seems odd for the traditional opener to be thousands of miles away in a time zone far different from the one where waking Americans are eating apple pie and driving Chevrolets (well, I'm sure some of us still do).

I guess we'll check the box score and wait until next week.

Play ball.

Patriots Expand Roster

After a two-week self-imposed blackout of listening to the radio or watching local news, it's safe (almost) to return to local programming.

But what I don't understand is how the New England Patriots added a bunch of new players to the team. Almost everyone who calls into the local sports talk shows prefaces his or her comments with "we."

"We" should have won the game but the safety killed us.

"We" were in the game until Welker dropped the pass.

"I liked our chances until Brady got hurt."

"We had them. We were in control."

Really? I thought rosters had a cap.

Super Bowl Sunday

Shrimp cocktails and pasta in front of a crackling fire.

A glass of Nero D'Avola.

Checking our squares and finding encouragement for our '9' when the game begins with a safety.

Madonna at halftime, showing Lady Gaga how it's done.

A game of Apples to Apples to start the third quarter.

Bath time for the little person who lives in our house in the fourth quarter.

Watching the final minutes as we shift into the work-week, school-week mindset.

And the fire dims.

Ugh

Two weeks of hype.

Two weeks of pom-pom-waving  "news"casters fawning over the New England Patriots.

No local news.

It's a perfect time to listen to music. That's the beauty of choice.

NFL Playoff Predictions

I'll try this again.

Saints 37, 49ers 21
Meet your Super Bowl champ

Patriots 31, Broncos 28
Brady-Tebow matchup lives up to hype

Ravens 21, Texans 0
Final run for one of NFL's best defenses

Packers 31, Giants 21
Well-rested Rodgers avoids the pass rush