April

The PRs (minus several key players) started slow, dropping the first game of the season to Mean Machine… but we picked it up the following week with a big win over The U. We converted 4 of 4 fourth downs (including two 4th-and-the-50s). Even with a second-half injury to Brian, the PRs held together for the win. Game ball to Mere… outstanding defense (nice PBU on a would-be conversion, key interception on the first series of the second half and a big catch on fourth down late in the game). The PRs finish 1-1 on the month… at the same point the Red Sox were 11-15. Those were the days.

Other notes from April…

Here’s something for your registry, Mere: A $6,400 toilet.

Was feelin’ a little Minnesota, so I hopped a plane west to catch the 2011 Frozen Four in St. Paul… and also took in Opening Day at Target Field on the off day. Twins rallied to win it.

Pregame at Hubert’s at the Target Center. Check out the specialty drink list:

Star-Spangled Banner time.

Kyle Schmidt: Scooooooore!

Not to be outdone, Anaheim’s Bobby Ryan in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs:

And somebody special turned 1!

May

The PRs continued saw their momentum stall in May. At 1-1 and completely in control vs BALCO, the PRs coughed up the ball three times en route to a 26-26 tie that felt like a loss. Next up, the Craigslist All-Stars, who finished the season 0-6) gave the PRs all they could handle in a game that went down to the wire and required a goalline stand at the end. Yipes. At 2-1-1 the PRs met The U and, minus Mere and Steph and with Brian hobbled, just couldn’t keep up. The loss dropped the PRs to 2-2-1 with one game to play.

Other May notes…

Took a trip to Santa Barbara. Oprah lives in the area, so it’s gotta be nice, right? Quite.

The shore:

The pool:

The balcony:

Rancho San Marcos… par 3 on the back. Can’t remember the number. Hit my tee shot right, chipped up and missed the par putt. Grrr.

Sandpiper Golf Club… par 3 No. 11. Gorgeous hole down a steep hill. 7-iron into the breeze. Landed right, chipped up and again missed the par putt. Yoy.

Conan shaved his beard:

Maybe the coolest thing ever:

Shoe shopping?

Best Onion Rings Ever! Zackel’s in Claridge, PA.

Not the biggest lacrosse fan in the world, but this is sweet:

Mere shows us her JPOWW Pride:

And, um, something about the Bruins?

June

The PRs closed the season with a rematch with BALCO. Down 6 with 4-minutes left, the PRs went through their 3:45 drill… tying the game with 15 seconds left. After missing the extra point, it looked like the game with BALCO would end in yet another tie (talk about evenly matched teams), but BALCO had other plans. On a last-second heave-ho, a BACLCO receiver managed to get his hands free of triple coverage and pull the ball down for the game-winning score. Ugh. 2-3-1. For the record, we haven’t won more than two games in a season since the Fall of 2009. That changes this weekend. We’re going to win… and not settle for runner-up like Spring 2009.

Give it to us, Herbie:

Don’t forget to look nice for the team picture. Here are the previous two squads:

Fall 2010

Spring 2010

The similarities are uncanny. On that frigid December day at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, the Steelers gave up a late touchdown to the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Playoffs… setting the stage for one of the most storied and important plays in the history of the NFL. The Immaculate Reception.

Last Sunday, at McKinney Playground in Brighton, the Pocket Rockets took the ball at their own 20… trailing by 7 to Dizzy Llamas Orange with 5 seconds remaining in the game… and, realistically, their season, having started 0-2-1. After a quick slant to Brian for 6 yards, Vegas called a timeout and drew up the final play in the huddle. PMac would streak the left side. Brian and Uncle Ron would line up to the quarterback’s right and meet PMac in the endzone. Mere and Stepha were, really, just afterthoughts. Vegas took a 5-step drop and took three strides to his left, waited for the rush and lofted a wobbly bomb some 40-yards downfield. There was a collision… and a tip… and a ball falling toward the ground… and, finally, a waiting pair of hands to snatch The Rock for a TOUCHDOWN! Mere, somehow, found herself unchecked in the chaos and gathered the ball (this after dropping the one-point conversion just minutes earlier that would have given the PRs the lead).

Another timeout to call the game’s final play… a 2-point conversion for the win. Diamond left. Brian solo right. If they went zone, we had an overload to the left. If they went man, Brian would have single coverage and the entire right side of the field to get open. Man defense. Brian outcut… bobble… catch… conversion. PRs WIN! I’m casting an early vote for the Im-MERE-culate Reception for ‘Offensive Play of the Year’ (to be awarded, as always, at the postseason team banquet).

The coda to the Immaculate Reception is that the Steelers lost to the Dolphins the next week in the AFC championship game… but it set the stage for 4 Super Bowls (now 6 if you’re counting). And don’t look now, but if the playoffs started today… guess who’d be the No. 4 seed?

This week the PRs tackle The U at 5 p.m. at Smith Field.

Some fun stuff…

Pens. Flyers. Tonight at the brand new Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, 7:08 p.m. Hockey is back, baby!

And Conan is almost back…

And Duke still sucks! Yuck!

News and notes

America won. Whoopee. I guess.

Futurama returns (rebirths?) tonight! 10 p.m. on Comedy Central.

And 35 years ago this week… the greatest movie ever made its premier.

Sunday, June 27 at Belmont Hill School
4 p.m. – No. 2 The U (4-2) vs. No. 3 Pocket Rockets (2-4)
5 p.m. – No. 1 Mean Machine (5-1) vs. Semifinal winner

Note: Pregame PR team photo: 3:45 p.m.

Ron Doyle has announced the birth of his son as follows:
Mason Sean Doyle (Jeebus, was that kid born with a Shamrock for a belly-button or what?), 1:32 a.m., June 22, 9 lbs, 11.5 oz., 23 inches.
Yay! Let’s celebrate with a drink, shall we?

Less important news and notes:

Flag football is not as wimpy as some people think. Just ask Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith.

In the season finale, a showdown with The Renagades (sic) for the third and final playoff spot, the Pocket Rockets prevailed 38-32 thanks in large part to an outstanding defensive effort in the first half. For the second straight week, the PRs surrendered just 6 first-half points. First-half highlights included two red-zone interceptions… the first by Uncle Ron, who dashed nearly to the house. A quick TD later and the PRs went up 14-6. Minutes later as The Renagades (sic) tried to tie the game just before the half, D-man jumped in front of a gender-tossed ball and galloped to the endzone for a 20-6 halftime lead.

The PRs stretched the lead to 26-6 on the opening possession of the second half. The Renagades (sic), to their credit, wouldn’t give up and eventually cut the PR lead to 32-26 with about 4 minutes to go by effectively employing a running game (gasp!). On a critical PR possession and facing a 4th-down near midfield, Brian worked himself open in the middle and scampered into scoring territory. On third-and-goal, Mere made her patented zig-out move. Vegas threaded the needle in the corner and Mere tiptoed the line for the winning score. Game ball is shared by all for an outstanding effort.

One sad note… The Rock Jr. is officially missing and not likely to rejoin us. I must be at the ‘acceptance’ stage because I’m expecting my new baby to be delivered on Friday. I will take better care of this one. Promise.

News and notes

Here’s your World Cup update:

Apparently I’m not the only one who thinks these games are so boring spectators need something else to occupy their time. For my part, during USA-England, I read this article. I guess if I were at the game I’d be tooting an annoying horn… which is much less annoying than getting shot for watching the World Cup. Yipes. Even I don’t hate soccer that much.

Anyway, as you know, the game of the century ended in… say it with me… a tie! Oh, soccer.

Here are the highlights in case you fell asleep watching:

The Onion Sports Network also has some breaking soccer news.

However, for the soccer players/fans among you, I scoured the Interwebs for something interesting about the World Cup, which begins play today. Of course, it has nothing to do with soccer.

It had to happen sooner or later… whether the result of skill, will or luck… the Pocket Rockets scored their first win of the season by beating previously undefeated, The U, 34-28. The win sets up a season-finale showdown with the 1-4 The Renagades (sic) at 6 p.m. Sunday at Belmont for the third and final D-I playoff spot.

The PRs opened the game with a quick scoring drive and got the ball right back when Brian snagged a slightly overthrown ball for yet another interception. Seems like he gets one every game. We cashed in moments later and held a 14-0 lead. The U scored near the end of the half to cut the deficit to 14-6 by halftime. Both teams traded scores in the second half. With about 3:00 to go, The U tied the game with a TD and 2-point conversion. Time for the PRs to take control. Marching methodically down the field the PRs converted two fourth-downs (one on a nice grab by Dman and another on a Stepha toss to Brian who scored the go-ahead touchdown on the play) and drained most of the clock. Trailing by 6, The U advanced the ball just past midfield to set up the desperation heave into the endzone (broken up by Brian and yours truly). We had many heroes in this game, but the game ball (remember those?) goes to Brian for his great two-way play.

Playoff Note: The playoffs (semis and finals) are scheduled for June 27.

Other news and notes

The Chicago Blackhawks won their first Stanley Cup since 1961 last night. Well deserved.

2010 Stanley Cup Champs

Seen: Vegas. I just can’t go anywhere anymore. The U’s ‘Camacho’ (his name is Danny) saw me at the BU dentist last week. Then on Friday night the black fellow on The U spotted me at Conan. How long before I end up on Page Six? Anyway, here’s some Coco:

Well, first let me introduce you to my niece, Jillian.

Jillian demonstrates her lefty sky-hook (sans ball) in Uncle Jonny's arms.

And here’s one minus her objectionable uncle.

Pretty girl.

News and Notes

NBC’s Ann Curry botched her Commencement Address at Wheaton College on May 22 (this actually happened the day before our last game, but it didn’t hit the papers until the following Monday). Basically she got the Wheaton in Mass. confused with the Wheaton in Ill. Taken from her apology…

I now know I should have named National Medal of Science winner Dr. Mary Ellen Avery, former New Jersey Governor and former EPA Director Christie Todd Whitman, literary agent Esther Newberg, Oscar-nominated actress Catherine Keener and Ken Babby, the youngest senior officer in the history of the Washington Post, among others. Thank goodness I got Leslie Stahl right.

What? No mention of Jos in that list? Methinks Miss V. needs to contribute more to the Alumni Association.

On the subject of alma maters, Jackie went to Miami (the one in Ohio, not the one in Florida). Which is the better party school? One might be tempted to say Florida… but be sure to read this first before you render judgment.

Brian (Michigan grad) had to be a little miffed over the Detroit Tigers’ Armando Galarraga’s near perfect game… and I’m sure feminists everywhere are a little miffed over this:

Slug away, Erin (She went to Williams).

Question: What woman gives this guy her number? Yoy.

OK, I gotta go. It’s Coco time.

Because are games aren’t worth blogging about, I’ll just have fun with other stuff.

Dead

The Detroit Red Wings… losers to perennial chokers, the San Jose Sharks, in 5 games. Ouch. Time may have finally caught the team of the decade. That and Joe Pavelski is just unstoppable right now. Can’t wait for the San Jose – Chicago series. Blackhawks’ winger Marian Hossa vies to make this third-straight Stanley Cup finals appearance… with three different teams. I dunno if that’s been done before, but he’s 0-2 so far. Maybe he’ll be a healthy scratch if Chicago advances.

Alive… on life support

The Pittsburgh Penguins… defending Stanley Cup Champs play game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals tonight against the Canadiens… at the Igloo. Probably best I view this one at the Fortress of Solitude and steer clear of the sharp objects. If Montreal wins this game, they’ll win the East fer sher and I’d bet on the Cup, too. Tough to beat a hot goalie in the playoffs, but Jaroslav Halak comes back to earth tonight. The prediction here: Pens 4, Habs 1.

Dead

Ernie Harwell, Hall of Fame broadcaster and longtime voice of the Detroit Tigers (tough week for Motown). He was old and terminally ill… so naturally he made my Dead Pool list. Thanks, Ernie, for giving me my first hit of the year. Paul Allen, your next, bro.