Was it Rondo’s best alley-oop pass this year?  That question remains up for debate, but I can assure you that somewhere in America there is a coach from Rondo’s past who is watching this video and saying to his players, “See! I always told that Rajon to use his head!”

Hat Tip – [Dime Magazine]

Do you live in the Boston area?  Do you have your own place?  Does it have an internet connection and an Xbox?  If you answered “yes” to the previous three questions, I have just one more question for you:

Would you be interested in living with Chad Ochocinco for a few weeks?

The newly acquired Patriots receiver is looking to get to know his new home a little better, and what better way to do so than by living with a Patriots fan for a few weeks.  During an interview following Tuesday’s practice, Ochocinco had the following to say:

“I’m going to do something different, I’m actually going to stay with a fan for the first two, three weeks of the season.  That should be fun, until I get myself acclimated and learn my way around…I’m not sure how it’s going to work, but they have to have Internet and have to have Xbox.  That’s about it.”

No word yet on who that fan is or how they will be chosen.  If Chad’s smart, he may want to add big breasts, a tight body and a gorgeous face to his list of requirements.

Hat Tip – [ESPN]

While I’d like to applaud Harrington for this display of brilliance, I can’t help but wonder why he decided to tip his hand to opposing goalies around the league and show them what he has in his bag of tricks for the upcoming season before it has even begun.

As we have seen over the course of the past week, there are obviously some fans who would sacrifice anything for a foul ball, whether it is a beer or their dignity.  As for myself, I think I would have to abandon the possibility of catching the souvenir if it meant losing even an ounce of my deliciously refreshing beer.

After watching the video below, it seems fairly obvious that this Red Sox fan does not feel the same way as I do.

If you’re traveling to a city for a sporting event, a great game will only get you so far. Watching your team trounce its rival is good for something, but before and after, there has to be a scene that further validates your trip in a way that athletic accomplishment can’t. Where’s the party? If one game falls flat, are there other games going on that can salvage the weekend? If the game doesn’t fall flat, will all hell break loose with revelers after the win? A great sports town shouldn’t just have great teams, but great experiences to offer fans outside the realm of athletics, especially if they’re just in town for a few days. Here are a few of the towns that do it best.

11. St. Louis
While St. Louis doesn’t fit the description of either “college town” or “big city,” it does have perhaps the richest baseball tradition of any city in the US, making Cardinals games one of the best baseball experiences in the country (despite the fact that the stadium is built about 12 feet away from an elevated highway. It may not be the biggest party town, but this is one city that baseball fans treat like Mecca, and the resurgence of downtown St. Louis has helped craft an atmosphere that becomes remarkably party-like even after a regular-season Cards game.

10. Nashville
Nashville is in the enviable position of straddling the line between pro sports town and college town. While Vandy hasn’t exactly been a juggernaut in recent years, a night out in this country-music mecca has a very distinct college vibe in everything from the live music to the cheap food to the thousands of kids bombing around the bars will early morning. If college sports aren’t your thing, get over to a Titans game on Sunday. As bizarre as the combination of Nashville and hockey sounds, the scene at a Predators game actually is something to behold. Falls in Nashville are not to be missed as a sports fan.

9. Athens
The entertainment factor of a college town on game day can’t be overestimated. You’ve got thousands upon thousands of passionate fans, geographic isolation (usually) that directs everyone’s attention to the task at hand (drinking and cheering), and a cultural experience that can’t be duplicated not even in the biggest of cities. So naturally, the home of both the Georgia Bulldogs and R.E.M. will get most anyone’s attention. The college music scene in Athens is historically one of the strongest in the country so after the pilgrimage to a Bulldogs game, don’t be in such a hurry to get to Atlanta.

8. Montreal
The lowly Expos may be gone, but don’t feel too bad for this town. The Canadians have a history in the NHL that cannot be overestimated, while the city itself has the enviable reputation of being a cleaner, nicer, New Orleans, which could be a pro or con, depending on how much you like the grime of the Big Easy. However, with the French influence in Architecture, music and food, a trip to Montreal offers an experience that you’re probably not going to find at a Tampa Bay Lightening game. Finally, the strip clubs are supposed to be killer as well. So there’s that.

7. Ann Arbor
Half the cities on this list are huge cities boasting historic pro teams. The other half are college towns with no pro teams, but a collegiate atmosphere that makes a trip in an October weekend an electric proposition. Ann Arbor certainly isn’t Boston or Philly, but the killer dining options mesh well with tailgating and recovery from a night well spent. Michigan’s focus at the moment lies squarely on football, as the Fab Five have long since come and gone, but the stadium experience is one for the record books and you’re never too far from Detroit if you want to get shot or stabbed because you’re missing the big city.

6. New Orleans
New Orleans has a vibe that clearly lends itself to celebration nicely, so the recent success of the Saints has proven that this party town is also a pretty sweet sports town, especially given the events here in the recent years. Rarely has America seen a city so invested in its team as a source of hope and happiness. Honestly, even if the Saints were losing, NO would get a name check, but with their recent success, the vibe has gone from party town to sports party town, which may sound semantic, but makes a difference.

5. Milwaukee/Green Bay
There isn’t too much going on in Green Bay beyond the stadium experience, but a few miles away lies Milwaukee, one of the most underrated party towns in America, especially in the summer. Once teeming with European immigrants, this was the house that beer and brats built, so your typical Brewers home game in July turns into a tailgating extravaganza. I am comfortable in making the assumption that when a city has bitter cold weather for much of the year, they tend to make the most of the few summer months they get. And Milwaukee fans make the most out of every game. If you’re planning a trip up there, try to make it concurrent with Summer Fest, the largest outdoor music festival in the US.

4. Madison
Yeah, Wisconsin gets two entries on this list. Despite being geographically disparate, Madison and Austin share a lot of similarities, both being big, progressive college towns with both cultural touch-points as well as die-hard fans. Madison also has the reputation for being on of the most drinkin’-est cities in the US, especially while the Badgers are playing. If you’re visiting though, try to make it before the weather changes and the cold sucks out all your enthusiasm for both beer and sports. It could happen.

3. Austin
While Austin may not have a pro team to its name, the entertainment value o the city, coupled with the strength of the athletic program, make this entry a no-brainier. Austin is in the enviable position of offering the best of both worlds to residents and visitors alike. It’s known for being a progressive, alternative city, while at the same time being a kick-ass college town in the traditional sense, with 6th Street, live music, and an abundance of BBQ, Mexican food, and beer.

2. Chicago
Like Boston, there’s almost no way to go wrong on a sports trip to Chicago. The city is fairly compact, so getting around is a breeze, and outside the realm of sports, there are about a million things to do between Millenium Park, Navy Pier, and the museums. Outside of the cultural pursuits, the sports experience in Chicago is an embarrassment of riches, with unique experiences across all four pro sports and histories to match. Heading the list would almost certainly be an afternoon Cubs game in Wrigleyville, which is probably as lose as you can get to a college football experience in a big city in June.

1. Boston
Regardless of where you stand on the rivalry between NY and Boston, or even what you think of Boston fans, there are few greater sports cities in America. All four of their pro teams have a rich history, and, with the exception of the Pats, are very centrally located to downtown. The relatively small size of Boston makes it a sports fan’s paradise when more than one team is playing on the same day, turning your average Sunday into an all-you-can-drink buffet for most of the city. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s an experience worth checking out at least once in this historic city.

So Aroldis decided to come to Boston to pay a visit to one of his many suitors and decided to have a night out on the town.  Based on the pictures, it sure looks like he did.  But the thing that was so odd about those pictures is that they weren’t sent in to a sports blog by an anonymous tipster.  They were posted on Athlete Premiere International’s Facebook page!  For the 21-year-old Aroldis, this seems like an strange image for his agents to want to convey.

I mean, its definitely not warm enough in Boston to be wearing the outfit that woman is wearing, right?  That is most certainly a strip club.  We all know that athletes (and some other people, but don’t tell my girlfriend) go to strip clubs from time to time.  Pacman Jones notoriously did it.  Those people aren’t usually looking to get publicity for it though, and I’m sure it is not the best plan when trying to market a 21-year-old kid.

Hat Tip – [BigLeagueStew]

Total Pro Sports – If you thought catching the King of Common Carps would put up the fight of a lifetime, think again.

Taylor Sears, a 20-year-old man from Scituate, Massachusetts reeled in a 624-pound mako shark on Thursday.  The 10-foot monster is the largest male mako shark ever to be recorded in the Atlantic Ocean may even be the largest male mako ever caught anywhere.  As stated by Dr. Greg Skomal of the state division of Maritime Fisheries, “we didn’t think they got this big basically.”

Sears is no stranger to fishing the deep seas, but the Massachusetts Maritime Academy junior will remember not be forgetting the feeling of this big catch anytime soon.

“I’ve caught a million sharks before, but never anything this feisty.”

We are impressed with the sharpshooter he put on the giant shark, but would have been even more impressed had he caught this baby while fishing from a kayak.

Check out the pics of this trophy catch.

Mako in the sharpshooter

Mako shark

Hat Tip – [Barstool Sports]

10.  The Anaheim Ducks are no ordinary 8 seed: The San Jose Sharks were Cup favorites for many, but then they got lined up in the first round with Anaheim.  Some questioned this, but most thought it wouldn’t be much of a problem.  Well we are finding out quickly that it is more than just a problem.  It is a disaster!  These Ducks look like they can be the Oilers of 2006, who finished in 8th, but ended up in the Finals only to lose to Carolina.  There defense is strong with great depth, and their young goalkeeper Jonas Hiller has proven he can win some games in the playoffs.  Seeded 8th, Anaheim has the potential to make a suprising run.

9.  The Boston Bruins are for real: They cruised through the rugular season, but many questioned just what the Bruins were capable of in the playoffs.  A similar team on paper to the one that lost last year in the first round to the Montreal Canadiens, the Boston looked like they had really come together in the regular season and progressed a great deal over one summer.  They are now showing the Habs, and the rest of the league that they are true cup contenders, leading their best-of-seven series against the Canadiens 3-0.  The play has been almost completely one-sided with Boston, making it look as though men are playing against boys.  That is somewhat the story, but it leaves some wondering if it would have worked out the same way had Montreal had its full lineup.

8.  Martin Brodeur is quite grumpy at his age: Last year it was the Avery incident and and his refusal to shake hands at the end of the series.  Last night he topped that with a post-game blowup on referees Eric Furlatt and Wes McCauley.  Thinking he was bumped just prior to the game winning goal that occurred with 0.2 seconds left on the clock in regulation.  The play was under review, but once determined a goal, Brodeur had some choice words for the refs at center, then proceeded to smash and toss his stick as he left the ice.  We will see how he responds to this with the series headed back to New Jersey tied 2-2.

7.  At 20 years of age, Jonathan Toews can dominate: Coming into their first playoff visit since 2002, the Blackhawks had plenty of questions surrounding their youth.  A 20 years old captain may be cause for concern for some teams.  But not Chicago.  Not with Toews.  When he has been on the ice, he has taken control (just ask Pierre Maguire).  Posting 2 goals and 3 assists in 3 games thus far to help give his team a 2-1 series lead against the Calgary Flames, it looks like the fans in Chicago have a lot to look forwards to for years to come.

6.  Marc-Andre Fleury and the Pens don’t care much for curses: Everyone knows the story.  Those who lose in the cup finals usually don’t fair to well the following year.  Well the Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t interested in such talk.  In a tough, grind-it-out series against the Philedelphia Flyers, the Pens find themselves with a 3-1 lead thanks to some great goal-tending from Fleury, the usual scoring from Crosby and Malkin, and some timely work from Guerin, Kennedy and the rest of their role players.  Pitt is on a mission, looking to for a two-win improvement from their journey last year that brought them so close.

5.  Avery still has it: Yes, Avery does still have it.  What does that mean though, we aren’t to sure.  Whether its playing great, tough hockey, like he did in games 1 and 2 when his New York Rangers won, or taking stupid penalties and doing things your only see him do, like in game 3 when his team lost, you can always count on something from this guy.  Tortorella seemed to have figured him out, but unless Sean Avery sticks to winning games for his club, rather than losing them, he may not find himself on the ice for long.

4.  Some Habs fans are just confused: Here we go again.  No respect for the American national anthem at the Bell Centre, home of the Montreal Canadiens.  Now we can all understand that this has a lot to do with the bitter rivalry and great amount of pride held in the battle between Boston and Montreal, but don’t they realize that some of their key players are from the US?  What do you think Schneider, Higgens, Komisarek and Bouillon are thinking when they hear that?  Makes no sense to me.

3.  Hate is at its highest point during playoff time: The regular season is no stranger to a fight or a scrum, but the playoffs brings a whole new atmosphere to the rinks.  After every whistle there is a great chance that someone will get a glove to the face, and series between Chicago and Calgary, Pittsburgh and Philly and Montreal and Boston have all been extra heated, with the former seeing intense brawls and several plays being reviewed by NHL headquarters, and the latter two witnessing suspensions.  This is only the first round, but its becoming clear to see how the NHL playoffs is the toughest professional sporting playoff season to survive.

2. There is no Stanley Cup hangover in Detroit this year: Some were worried about their will to win, others about their goal-tending.  All these questions have come to answer themselves after just three games.  The Wings are clicking offensively, putting up four goals in each game on rookie standout Steve Mason (one was an empty netter), and Osgood has been OsGreat, allowing just 2 goals in three games and backing up his team when needed.  Now Detroit looks to go into the next round well rested, but their journey only gets tougher from here.

1. The Vancouver Canucks are Canada’s only shot at a Cup this year: Yes, you heard it.  If Canada wants to see the Stanley Cup come home for 2009, the only hope is the Vancouver Canucks.  With the Habs down 3-0 and the Flames looking like a big question mark in the West, it seems evident that it will come down to Vancouver as Canada looks for the its first Stanley Cup since Montreal won it back in 1993, and with the Olympics being held there next year, what better place to break the streak futility.

Tattooed on the back of this guys Right calf is a combination of his favorite local Boston sports teams; the Bruins, Patriots, Celtics and the Red Sox all present in the tattoo.

What we really want to know is if this guy actually wanted this tattoo on the back of his leg or if he just lost a bet with his friends one night after a couple cold beverages.  Either way we think this is one of the most oddest sports tattoos of all time.

Interested in more odd sports tattoo? Take a look here.

The biggest comeback in NBA playoff history happened tonight at the Staples Center in L.A., and I’m glad to say that the Celtics were on the winning end of it.  It seemed that the Lakers didn’t bother showing up for the third quarter and Boston took full advantage and eventually won the game even though they were down by 24 at one point.

After watching the game, one play that stood out in my mind happened during the last minute as Ray Allen was isolated against Sasha “The Machine” Vujacic.  It looked like “The Machine” forgot to go for an oil change before the game because he stalled badly when Allen drove past him and made a key field goal. 

I wish I could feel sorry for the Lakers as they are fighting for their playoff lives against the Celtics, but I don’t.  Kobe is getting what he deserves as he is being exposed a player who can’t get it done without another superstar at his side.  I always thought of Kobe as Robin and Shaq as Batman, now it seems all he has to help him is Batgirl (Gasol) and Catwoman (Odom), and that simply won’t get it done.  I think the Lakers might take the next game at home and the series should end in six games when the Celtics return to their home court. 

The Celtics showed a lot of grit and determination in the game tonight.  The most important quality that was evident in the game was their ability to work as team and fight through adversity, something the Lakers and specifically Kobe cannot do.     

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