Howdy,
The last month has been an absolute blast, from going to NBA All Star Weekend (thanks Concord Orthopedics) to the BIG EAST Tournament Championship in Madison Square Garden last weekend, I am living a nine year-old’s dream. I also mixed in a visit to my old Kentucky home and on Monday got to cover the best basketball team of the last decade or so (Miami Heat). That being said, I am thoroughly exhausted and am looking forward to enjoying this weekend in the confines of my Manchester apartment watching college basketball, the Celtics, the Bruins and whatever else the good people at ESPN plan on showing me. I love women’s hoops (yeah I said it) but the Women’s Tournament bores me because anyone who knows anything, knows that the four #1 seeds will advance to the Final Four as they are the four best teams in American it isn’t even close.
Also this week, Louisville Athletic Director Tom Jurich was nominated for Athletic Director of the Year by Street and Smith’s Sports Business Journal. Jurich not winning the award would be one of the biggest travesties in sports history. Yes, the history of sports. What can’t this guy do? He’s taken Louisville to the BIG EAST and now the ACC, he builds beautiful facilities and all of his teams win. Not only should he win this award, he should be receiving a lifetime achievement award sometime soon.
On to the mailbag…
Q: You’re new to the area yet you seem so sure that the Red Sox are going to be bad in 2013. While many agree with you, you have to understand that we all thought the Red Sox would compete last year. Could they surprise us again and have an impressive season and maybe even make a wild card or win the division?
Paul in Bow, NH
A: Win the division? Absolutely not. Tampa Bay will do that. Tampa will run away with the AL East in 2013. With David Price, Matt Moore, Jeremy Hellickson and a line-up which will likely feature a healthy Evan Longoria and half a season of Wil Meyers, I don’t foresee anyone beating the Rays. The Red Sox could surprise us, but I seriously doubt it. This team rid itself of roughly $300 million in payroll only to go out and add mediocre free agents such as Ryan Dempster, Johnny Gomes and David Ross. David Ross, for example, is a very helpful player but only to a team in contention. The Red Sox’s biggest hopes rely on three things:
1. The rebound of their rotation. How will Jon Lester recover from a disappointing year? How will Dempster adjust to the AL East? How will Clay Buccholz and John Lackey do after injury riddled 2012 campaigns? Those are just too many serious questions to ask about every single pitcher for me to feel confident about this rotation, especially in the American League.
2. How will the young players such as Wil Middlebrooks, Jackie Bradley Jr., Xander Boegarts and others fit in with the team? I think those three will all have to play an important role on this team in ’13 if they want to compete. However, only Middlebrooks is expected to begin the year with the team. I believe Jackie Bradley Jr. is, at the very least, the teams third best outfielder and should starting in left field and batting 9th, platooning with Johnny Gomes. Also, I’d like to see Ryan Lavarnway get at-bats with David Ortiz out and he could either A) supplant Saltalamacchia or B) provide a valuable return for a catching-starved team
3. How will John Farrell take control of this team?
There are too many questions there for me to be able to have in confidence in picking the Red Sox over the Rays, Orioles and of course the Miami Blue Jays.
Q: The Bruins seem to amaze me with how big of a lead they can blow. They keep blowing leads in the 3rd period and quite frankly, I’m sick of it! How do they stop this going forward?
Brian in Concord, NH
A: I have no idea. The amount of third period leads they have blown this year is sickening. Don’t forget though that this team is still one of the very best in the Eastern Conference. I would like to see them make a move before the deadline to add a defender and a center. A guy to keep in mind is former B’s defender Hal Gill of Nashville. Yes, Gill has injury questions surrounding him and his age may also be a factor, but acquiring a veteran with his presence and experience both in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (’09 champion with Pittsburgh) and in Boston is something that cannot be overlooked. Adding a defenseman would allow the team to set their defensive parings so that Dougie Hamilton can get acclimated with a single partner instead of constantly switching. Also, the injury to Adam McQuaid might require an additional defender anyways since, who really wants to see Aaron Johnson paired with Johnny Boychuk on the ice for an extended period of time? Not me.
Q: You talk about how much fun all of the sporting events you have been to are and many of us have never actually been to one. What is your favorite sporting event that you have been to?
Wilbur in Concord, NH
A: This is an extremely hard question to answer. First and foremost, I have been to these events at different ages and in different capacities. For example, I was at the World Series as a fan when I was ten years old. I was on the bench in the 09 Women’s Final Four as a 19 year old, so the two experiences really aren’t comparable. That being said, out of the grand sporting events I have been to (Super Bowl, World Series, NBA All Star Weekend, Kentucky Derby, Men’s Final Four and Women’s Final Four), I would have to go with the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby is such a spectacle and it legitimately lasts for two weeks. There are so many galas, balls, festivals, concerts and parties that engulf the two week period that I can say, it is my favorite time of the year. Of course the race itself is only about two minuets long, but even that part is extremely exciting, especially where I was sitting last year down the stretch. So give me the Kentucky Derby (which Sports Night will be at in May) with the Super Bowl a close second.
Q: Guests keep referring to you as “Jbone”. The new segment Friend of Bone also refers to you as “Jbone”. What is the deal with this nickname and where does it come from?
Jake in Hookset, NH
A: I knew I was going to get this question at some point. “J-Bone” is a college nickname that is apparently following me everywhere I go. I can be 100% honest with you that there is no hidden meanings behind the nickname and no references to body parts as well. As an 18 year-old freshman in college, close friend Devrinn Paul told me that it was required that I have a nickname and gave me two choices: “J-Rock” or “J-Bone”. I thought long and hard for about three seconds and then decided on “J-Bone”. Of course, I didn’t know this name would follow me for the next five years and continue. The segment “FOB” is probably my favorite every week because not only are we interviewing people about sports, it gives me an opportunity to trash talk. If you know anything about “J-Bone” (last third person reference ever, I promise), you know that I love to talk trash.
Anyway, that’s all I have time for this week. Be sure to tweet in your questions to @JaredStillman, best question receives passes to Loon Mountain for some skiing before it’s too late.
Jared
—-
New Hampshire Sports Night with Jared Stillman airs weeknights from 6-7 PM ET on WKXL 103.9/1450 and online at ConcordNewsRadio.com. You can follow Jared @JaredStillman
—-
Want to join the New Hampshire Sports Night team? Advertising opportunities are available, e-mail Janice Cyr at jcyr@concordnewsradio.com today.
