In Sean McAdam's notebook Curt Schilling yesterday dismissed Epstein’s recent suggestion that the pitcher might benefit in the long run from his current stint on the disabled list.

“I agree with (manager Terry Francona) — it’s easy to analyze that when you’re not in uniform and you’ve never been in one,” said Schilling. “That’s a good way to look at it, I guess (as an executive); it’s different when you’re in (the clubhouse).”

On Friday in San Diego, Epstein said Schilling’s shoulder tendinitis might be “a blessing in disguise to a certain extent,” if Schilling returns and is stronger down the stretch thanks to the layoff.

Just some thoughts crossing my mind as I was floating in my pool, (albeit for 10 minutes, because my white ass will burn)

: I'm still in shock, Did the Sopranos really end that way?

:Do you think Theo has earned our trust now like BB....by not signing Schilling....two letters DL

:Who the hell won the Stanley Cup?.....better yet who cares?

:After 34 years Happy Hour on the Cape (at my bar..the Improper Bostonian) may not open...it's a historic site like Sundae School

:Lebron, it'll never happen unless you get at least 1 more player

:You think Eva really loves Tony Parker?....no, just the bling

:Hey Georgie, Roger is really helping you guys out........hahahaha

:Sorry A-Rod, I passed on you in fantasy, I took Papi.......I couldn't take that uniform on my team

:Training camp in 1 month....love it love it love it

:Why is this one spot in the pool so warm?

:Can we finally get rid of Interleague Play?......The AL lineups are so much more dominant than the NL

:Ocean's Thirteen........after this is enough, don't kill it (please see Die Hard, Police Academy etc..)

:Hillary, I hate you and you have no shot...........but great campaign commercial

:Cotuit Kettlers........love'em

:Cape any time of year, especially the summer.....no place better

:Abington Fireworks, give it up.....it's for the "thugs" who aren't tough enough to hang at the Brockton Fair

:I know I can hit over .700 in softball this year..last year's average .683, this year's .664

:Mitt please take a stance, flip flopping like Eggo's waffles it doesn't work....see John Kerry

:I love my Buffett playlist this time of year........"Weather is Here, I Wish you Were Beautiful......

:Guitar is coming along, learning to play some Seger....have Buffett down

:God, it's hot.......time to roll off the raft and cool down

*********************************************(Ten seconds of Blackness)****************************************

The latest round of rumors is a big four way deal in which we would land Jermaine O'Neal and give up Big Al & the #5 pick. Word is that the Celtics will not do this, but will probably do it this way. ESPN'S Chad ford reports.

Are the Boston Celtics the key to moving Kevin Garnett to L.A.?

The Los Angeles Times reported on Monday that the Lakers were in discussions with the Minnesota Timberwolves about a trade that would send Garnett to the Lakers. The trade would also involve the Indiana Pacers and possibly a fourth team.

After speaking with a league source, I think the deal has some legs, though it doesn't appear imminent.

According to the source, the key to completing the deal is finding a fourth team that would (a) take Jermaine O'Neal and (b) send the Timberwolves enough pieces to complete the deal.

For instance, here's one scenario that could work:

The Wolves send Kevin Garnett and Marko Jaric to the Lakers.

The Lakers send Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum to the Pacers and the No. 19 pick to the Wolves.

The Pacers send Jermaine O'Neal to the Celtics.

The Celtics send the No. 5 pick, Theo Ratliff, Gerald Green and Sebastian Telfair to Minnesota.

The deal seems as though it would probably work for the Lakers, Pacers and Celtics.

The Lakers would get the guy they want to pair with Kobe in KG. Surely that would end any talk of a Kobe trade this summer.

The Pacers would get the two guys they want in exchange for O'Neal in Odom and Bynum. They've been waiting patiently for a straight-up swap with L.A. for weeks involving those three players (and a draft pick).

The Celtics would get another star quality player to pair with Paul Pierce without having to give up Al Jefferson.

But is it enough for Minnesota? That's the question.

Here is Ortiz appearing in another great ESPN Sportscenter commercial. If you missed his first one click here.

Rod Beck, was an All-Star relief pitcher who wore a bushy mustache while earning 286 career saves.

Beck was found Saturday by police officers responding to a call to his home in suburban Phoenix, police department spokesman Andy Hill said Sunday. Foul play is not suspected, though the cause of death might not be known for several days.

Nicknamed "Shooter," Beck pitched for the Red Sox from 1999-2001 before finishing his career with the Padres (2003-04). He began his Career with the Giants (1991-97) and the Chicago Cubs (1998-99).

Beck is probably best known for his time in the minors while working his way back to the majors in 2003, Beck pitched for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs and lived in his Winnebago parked just beyond the outfield fence. Fans would drop by for autographs and stay for a beer, and Beck became a folk hero. READ THE STORY HERE FROM ESPN

Could we land the star lefty? Well, according to the Chicago Sun Times, yes.

At least seven teams have made serious contact with Williams, with three actually having the resources to pry Buehrle from the White Sox. The Atlanta Braves and New York Mets were the leading contenders until this weekend, with the Boston Red Sox now becoming the front-runner.

While Williams wouldn't acknowledge that Saturday, he didn't have to. Allard Baird, the Red Sox' assistant to the general manager, was in town Friday to watch the White Sox' loss to the Cubs -- in which Buehrle started -- and reportedly was to be sent out on assignment only when things were about to get serious.

They're getting serious.

According to the source, the Red Sox not only want to keep Buehrle away from the New York Yankees and are willing to offer him a contract extension in the five-year range he is seeking, but they have a farm system loaded with players in whom the White Sox are interested.

Starting pitchers Clay Buchholz and Michael Bowden are on the White Sox' radar, as well as speedy outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury and shortstop Jed Lowrie.

Meanwhile, the deal would allow the Red Sox to move starter Julian Tavarez back to the bullpen, where he would fill a bigger need.

In landing Buehrle, the Red Sox would not only get a pitcher who has rebounded from a dismal 2006 season by going 4-4 with a 3.39 ERA, but a hurler who is a career 3-1 with a 3.49 ERA at Fenway Park.

Here are the two latest rumors for Thursday's draft, and I love them both!! They both are very possible and would bring a superb shot blocker to town. Danny you need to get one of these done. (without Big Al)

The first one is from ESPN'S Chad Ford.

If KG says no and Shawn Marion says no -- who else is out there? The Celtics could revist a Pau Gasol trade. An offer of the No. 5 pick, Delonte West and the expiring contract of Theo Ratliff may be enough to get it done. That way the Celtics keep Al Jefferson and don't give up much of their core.

The Grizzlies might just bite at that. They are having trouble deciding between Joakim Noah and Mike Conley at No. 4. This way they could have both. However, we're hearing that the Grizz are also taking to the Hawks about a deal that would send Gasol to Atlanta for the No. 3 pick. That deal would something like this: Josh Childress, Lorenzen Wright, Anthony Johnson and the No. 3 pick for Gasol.

The second one is from the Globe's Peter May

But there is someone out there the Celtics might be able to obtain, a former All-Star who would give them a dimension they don't have and might not have any objection to playing in Boston: Andrei Kirilenko of the Jazz.

Yes, Kirilenko is coming off a tough season and, yes, there have been health concerns. The tough season has led to some interesting comments out of Salt Lake City, from the owner to the coach. Jazz boss Larry Miller said he figured Kirilenko wasn't going anywhere because he'd be hard to deal after this season with $60-odd million due him the next four years. Then, after Kirilenko complained in the Russian media about the way he was handled this season, Utah coach Jerry Sloan told the Salt Lake Tribune, "He's got to come and play . . . the bottom line is, how much do you like to win?"

Sounds like a perfect match, eh?

Kirilenko is 26. He was an All-Star in 2004. He would give the Celtics something they lack -- a defensive presence and shot-blocker -- and you'd have to think the Jazz would at least entertain a proposal in which Boston surrendered the fifth pick, Theo Ratliff and his wonderful, expiring contract, and a couple young-uns. Boston might have to take back a bad contract (Matt Harpring or Derek Fisher) to make it balance, but not necessarily.

If the Celtics sent Gerald Green, West, the fifth pick, and Ratliff for Kirilenko and the 25th pick, it'd work. You could also insert Jefferson and Telfair into the mix instead of Green and West, but, again, I'd think long and hard about dealing Jefferson.

Why would Utah do it? Well, for starters, the Jazz would be happy to get rid of the Kirilenko contract, in part because they're already paying massive sums to Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur. There seems to be some concern as to whether Kirilenko and Sloan can coexist. Utah also has to re-sign Deron Williams in the next year or two and, given the way he's going, he's going to demand big bucks.

The Celtics would be absorbing a big contract, but not nearly as big as Garnett's or O'Neal's. They'd also avoid having to re-sign a pair of their kids, which would account for untold millions. The money would basically be a wash this season, and after next season, Wally Szczerbiak's money comes off the books. In other words, they could do it and still avoid the dreaded luxury tax.

And once they make that trade, I would do what I could to turn the 25th pick into former Boston College center Sean Williams (by moving up via another trade). With him and Kirilenko on board, the Celtics could amp up their defense considerably and not lose a whole lot of offense. And with Kirilenko in the East, he could be an All-Star once again.

Gasol has more offensive skills than Kirilenko but not as much upside. Either one would be a great fit.

Here is Adam Sandler saying bye to the game show legend with the highlights of Bob kicking his ass in Happy Gilmore.

TMZ spotted the pint-sized star of "Austin Powers" outside Crustacean last night, where very large Celtics player Paul Pierce had the nerve to call Troyer "Mini-Me." Big mistake!

Verne had to cut the 6' 6" Paul down to size, calling him out on his faux-pas, saying, "I could have come up and just said 'Hey, you play for the Celtics, what up?' No, your name is Paul, my name is Verne ... Next time, now you know."

Troyer then gave Pierce a low-five and was on his way.

Schilling has gone on the DL. Garnett has closed the door on the Celtics, and we break down a couple Soprano's parodies.

 Have any questions, comments, or feedback for the show? Feel free to contact me at PolandSpringer@gmail.com

 I will create a show email address in a little bit, but for now, I'll give out my email address. Enjoy!

ESPN has just reported that KG wants no part of Boston.

Garnett's agent, Andy Miller, told ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan that Garnett made it known to the Wolves and Celtics late Wednesday that he had no interest in playing for Boston. The implication was clear: If Minnesota dealt him to Boston, Garnett would opt out of his contract next summer.

"The Boston trade isn't happening," Miller told Sheridan on Thursday. "If a trade were to happen, that's not a destination that we're interested in pursuing."

Asked where Garnett would prefer to be dealt, Miller replied: "Too early. Ask me in two days."

Following Schilling, Kevin Youklis now has a blog on MLB.com. Check it out here

Personally, I’ve enjoyed flying under the radar but I’ve been hitting well recently and  don’t know how much longer I can do that. Batting in front of David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez in the order, I get pitched to more often. Pitchers want to get me out, so I see more pitches. Knowing they don’t want to fall behind allows me to be a little more aggressive.

I always felt I could hit if I go out and play every day and gain that confidence. But I’m not playing this game to become a superstar or win awards. I just want to have fun, do the best I can each season and hopefully have a long career.

The only goal that matters is winning a championship.

For all you Lost fans having withdrawals, here is a video of the plane crash synchronised. The creator of the video says this:

I thought it would be interesting to show all of the different perspectives shown of the plane crashing. So I've edited the viewpoint from inside the plane along with Desmond not pressing the button and The Others watching from the ground. Each sequence doesn't line up perfectly and run alongside with the exact same timings, so please excuse some creative manipulation of some events which was necessary so that as a sequence it at least made some sense.

The HBO Series John from Cincinnati keeps me coming back for more. The character John is very hard to figure out. It is like he has some healing power and he keeps saying.."the end is near." So I tune in hoping to find out what this all means.

This past week Shaun Yost was able to enter a surfing competition. Shaun breaks his neck at the competition and his dead beat dad (Butchie a washed up well known surfer) is nowhere to be found. Butchie is out with John who continuously mimics and repeats what Butchie says. Apparently John is not really from Cincinnati. He just repeated what Butchie was saying. So this guy is seriously a mystery.

I am still not sure about this one but I am hooked. It is like a reality tv show you get sucked into watching because you need to find out what happens.

Until next time!!!

In Today's Herald it says things are getting closer with the Timberwolves.

The Process still is far from complete, but a league source indicated last night the Celtics were moving closer to a deal for Minnesota star Kevin Garnett.

Now all these rumors involve my man Big Al, so I don't want this deal to happen as suggested. Sure I'd love KG because we'd go deep next year. I just hope there is a way to get it done another way.

Here is Bill Simmons thoughtz on what the Celtics should do.

5. Boston Celtics
If you're the Suns and you can win the 2008 title, you make a run at Kevin Garnett. If you're the Celtics and have Paul Pierce, a painfully young supporting cast and a coach with a career winning percentage of .467, you don't. Of course, this is the NBA, so the Suns are backing off and the Celtics are pursuing KG with a package that includes Al Jefferson, the No. 5 pick, Gerald Green, Wally Szczerbiak's contract and/or Theo Ratliff's expiring deal (for KG and possibly one more contract). It's hard to blame them for considering the deal because, for the first time in five years, the Celtics would be relevant again. You can sell tickets with a Pierce-Garnett combo, make a few more TNT appearances, maybe even get Barkley and the "PTI" guys talking about you. After what happened in the 2007 playoffs, it's not unrealistic to think that Pierce, KG and 10 drunks from Sullivan's Tap could win the East next spring.

Then the common sense starts kicking in.

They'd be sacrificing every non-Pierce trading asset for superior defense at the 4-spot and a slight points/rebounding upgrade. They'd also be losing the league's best young low-post scorer (Jefferson) for a mercurial clubhouse guy who peaked three years ago and hasn't made the playoffs since. Seriously, would you rather pay Jefferson $4 million combined for the next two seasons, take Corey Brewer fifth (someone who could guard LeBron, Wade, Arenas and Kobe for the next 10 years), use Ratliff's contract to pursue one more veteran (someone like Andrei Kirilenko, for instance) and build a real basketball team? Or would you rather pay Kevin Garnett $46 million over the next two seasons, flank him with Pierce and nobody else, then hope both guys somehow stay healthy for the next three years? When Kobe and Shaq won three straight titles as a two-man team, they had the likes of Robert Horry, Derek Fisher, Glen Rice, Brian Shaw, Ron Harper and Phil Jackson to help them. Do you see anyone like that on Boston's roster from the coach on down?

Overpaying for KG looks like a classic Sonny Corleone move, a panic trade specifically pushed by people worried about their jobs, a short-term fix that gets OK'd once the owner becomes sufficiently excited about owning an NBA team that has Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce on it. So what if it's 2007 and not 2003? We have KG and Pierce! Anytime the reason for a sports trade is, "We need to roll the dice, I'm tired of treading water, I want to be relevant again," it's almost like watching somebody lose for a few hours at a $25 blackjack table, then become frustrated and start betting $100 a hand. Well, you know what happens to those people? They lose. They run out of money. They slink away. And after a few seconds, somebody else sits in their seat. Which is exactly what's going to happen here.

Anyway, I'm against the KG trade, if only for this reason: If I were running Minnesota, I'd grab Jefferson, Green and the No. 5 for KG in a cocaine heartbeat. It's a no-brainer for them, especially when the sucky contract they'd take back (Szczerbiak) happens to be one of the most popular athletes in the history of the franchise. I want the Celtics to be on the other side of a no-brainer for once. Call me idealistic. Fortunately, as a basketball buddy pointed out last night, "You're forgetting one thing: Why the hell would KG want to play in Boston?" Excellent point. He'll squash this deal in two seconds.

Even though I'm not A Bruins fan, I thought that this is big newz for hockey fans.

Claude Julien was hired as coach of the Bruins on Thursday, less than a week after Boston fired Dave Lewis and two months after Julien was dismissed by the New Jersey Devils.

A few months ago Rob Mariano, a Boston native known as "Boston Rob," from Survivor Marquesas is a reality TV star who has appeared on Survivor: All-Stars, The Amazing Race, The Amazing Race All-Stars, and Rob & Amber: Against the Odds.said his next reality TV project would be huge.

 "Probably the biggest project we've ever worked on," teases Rob Mariano. "It's bigger than 'Survivor' and bigger than the 'Amazing Race.' I mean, when you hear about this thing, it's going to be huge and it will blow your mind."

Well, The details are out and I think it sounds like he might be right. The new show will be called "TONTINE," where one contestant will win the biggest cash prize in the history of reality television -- $10 million. Boston Rob will be the host.

"My own personal experiences will provide insight for the competitors to go for the win, no matter what it takes," said Mariano.

Tontine will follow 15 contestants, each of which is given "a special key" that unlocks a portion of the $10 million grand prize.  Over the course of 100 days, the cast will be put through a series of mental and physical challenges with the possession of the keys constantly up for grabs.  The series will conclude when only one contestant remains with all 15 keys in his or her possession, allowing them to unlock the $10 million prize. 

The show's format is based on its namesake -- "tontine" -- an annuity scheme in which a group of individuals share a common fund, with the money being awarded to the person who survives the longest, or in this case makes it to the end of the competition.

There is a Boston Casting call with Boston Rob at Faneuil Hall on 7/21-7/22 from 10AM-6PM. More info at jointhetontine.com/

Saw this on Deadspin.com