Off The Wagon

In this extra long episode, Sal & Josh watch the Red Sox game live!

In this episode, Sal & Josh debate who is more hateable, LeBron or Steph? They talk about the Red Sox and UFC 199. Also, buy more toilets!

In this episode, Sal & Josh return from their month hiatus. They talk about the Red Sox, basketball, hockey, and the UFC. Also, they get drunk at 3 in the afternoon. Enjoy!

In this episode, Sal & Josh talk a lot about MMA and CES35, they talk about the Red Sox, Bruins & Celtics. Also, they yell about rude people and weirdo's with fruity drinks.

In this episode Sal & Josh talk about hockey for a real long time, they get passionate about baseball. Also, they offer a lot of trigger warnings.

In this episode, Sal & Josh talk with Lewis Corapi who has an MMA bout coming up April 16th at CES35. They talk about the Celtics, Bruins, & Red Sox. Also, they do an in-depth conversation about Jim Nantz giving away his tie.

In this episode, Sal & Josh discuss the feeling of impending doom around the Celtics and Bruins. They talk about the NCAA Final Four NBA infidelity. Also, for some unknown reason, they talk about Wrestlemania.

In this episode, Sal rejoined the podcast after a week away. After Sal & Josh caught up about their weeks, they talked about UFC 200, NCAA March Madness, and all things MLB, NHL, NBA, & NFL. Also, they talked about maybe, finally, getting a guest... but probably not.

In this episode, Josh is without Sal and he delves into the depths of his own OCD and only child syndrome. He also talks about the Bruins, Celtics, Red Sox, and Patriots.

In this episode, Sal & Josh review UFC 196, talk about their bets for the upcoming week, and discuss Erin Andrews. Also, they plead HBO to give them a show.

In this episode Sal & Josh thought they were going to have a guest, then they didn't. They talked about UFC 196, the NHL trade deadline, and the Celtics versus Bruins. Also, they didn't get TOO political talking about Donald Trump.

In this episode, Sal & Josh talk about the changes to UFC 196, Pablo Sandoval not coming to Spring Training in shape, and Donald Trump. Also, about how Dada 5000 died last week.

In this episode, Sal and Josh talk about the NBA trade deadline, Jerod Mayo retiring, the upcoming Bellator and UFC matches, and the first time they got drunk. Also, they talk about a transformative Vegas trip they took in 2010.

In this episode, Sal & Josh review Super Bowl 50 and some of their prop bets. They talk about the state of the NHL, NBA, and MLB. Also, they discuss hard on their luck Uber drivers and Pre-Cana.

In this episode, Sal & Josh talk about the Super Bowl and all it's ridiculous props. They recap the Pro Bowl and the NHL All-Star game. Also, Sal tells the story of a failed threesome.

In this episode, Sal and Josh recap the conference championships, they talk about casino gambling in Massachusetts, and debate politics. Also, the return of The Sixer, with a really crappy beer.

This is an article I’ve wanted to write for a while, and the All-Star break seems like a great time for reflection. The Boston Bruins really turned around the franchise with the hiring of Claude Julien for the 07/08 season. Since then, the Bruins have only finished below 3rd place once and that was last year.

One of the first big moves of the franchise during the Julien era was trading Phil Kessel after the 08/09 season. The deal at the time had people up in arms about losing a scorer who had the potential of scoring 30 goals every season. He’s gone on to do just that, except for last season where he had 25. However, the return was two first round picks and that appeased most people. Luckily for Bruins fans, Toronto stayed at the bottom of the standings while Boston used their cap space, the development of David Krejci, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand and veterans Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron to skyrocket to the top of the league and win the Stanley Cup in 10/11.

The Bruins seemed poised to be an organization to be reckoned with for a long time coming. They were able to use one of the Phil Kessel picks to grab Tyler Seguin, who was selected #2 overall behind Taylor Hall. Seguin was thought to be a sure thing NHL talent. A center who was a playmaker and could score. Most people thought the Bruins lucky that Seguin fell to #2 in the draft. Seguin didn’t come into the league soaring his first year with the Bruins, but he was able to play a part in the Bruins winning the Stanley Cup that year. In the playoffs against Tampa Bay, Patrice Bergeron went down to injury and this forced Seguin into the spotlight. In two games against Tampa, Seguin scored 3 goals and had 6 total points. He quickly came back to life only scoring one more point the rest of the post season, but it was a real glimpse of what the then 19 year old could be. The following season he scored 67 points on 29 goals and 38 assists. The season after that was a lockout shortened one where he had 16 goals and 16 assists and really didn’t produce well in the playoffs.

The second of the Kessel picks was Dougie Hamilton. A big young defender who at the time people thought could grow into a Zdeno Chara type. It’s a long held thought that it takes more time for NHL defensemen to develop, yet Dougie made the team as a 19 year old, averaging just over 17 minutes a game. He’d go on to average just over 19 and then over 21 minutes the next two seasons. His scoring started to develop to an NHL level in the 14/15 season and things looked great for going forward for the young defenseman.

But… something happened with each of these young promising talents. As illustrated on the NESN program “Behind The B” the Bruins front office was very upset with Tyler Seguin’s showing in the 12/13 Stanley Cup Finals when he only had 4 points, all assists. People forget how close of a series this was. The Bruins lost two of the first 4 games in overtime and could have swept the series had a few pucks bounced different ways. Following the Bruins second OT loss, Chicago seemingly realized how lucky they were to be tied 2-2 in the series and shut the Bruins down the final two games. Tyler Seguin looked over matched and could not skate with the Blackhawks top lines. It was remarked that if Seguin gave the Bruins half of what Patrick Kane gave the Blackhawks that they would’ve won the Cup. Easy to say that, as Kane is an All-Star caliber player who is in the hunt for the Hart Trophy every year. There were also rumors of Tyler Seguin’s extracurricular activities being a problem for the Bruins coaching staff and other players. Either way, it was clear the front office wanted to move on. They did so by surprising everyone on Independence Day 2013 and trading him and Rich Peverley for Loui Eriksson, Joe Morrow, Reilly Smith, and Matt Fraser. Loui Eriksson has been a serviceable 2nd and 3rd liner for the Bruins, but seems to have been more a replacement to Peverley than to Seguin. Matt Fraser and Reilly Smith are no longer on the team and Joe Morrow has yet to live up to the lofty expectations he had as a prospect. He’s only averaging around 16 minutes a game and isn’t getting any consistent play time.

Dougie Hamilton seemed to be a case quite opposite of Seguin. He apparently wasn’t pleased with the Bruins system, whether it was the coaches, his teammates, or even the front office, hasn’t really been explored, but he was not happy in Boston. Dougie’s ceiling seemed to be very high and everyone had penciled him in as a top pair defensemen for the foreseeable future. Then the Bruins traded him to Calgary for a first round pick in 2015 and two second round picks. Many people were furious with that “haul” for a top pair defenseman in his early 20’s.

Since Seguin was traded the big concern with Bruins fans was Boston losing a top tier scorer. Surprisingly enough, in the 13/14 season the Bruins were 3rd in scoring and this season they’re currently 3rd as well. To help the naysayers, in 14/15 the Bruins were a lowly 22nd GFA. It seems as though scoring isn’t as big of an issue as expected, but it’s hard to imagine that the Bruins wouldn’t benefit from a player like Seguin who is now one of the most prolific scorers in the league.

Defense is a far more severe problem for the Bruins. In 13/14 they had the second lowest GAA and were a premier defense. Last season they fell a bit but still were 8th in GAA securely in the top third. Now, this season, with the aging of Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg, and the absence of Dougie Hamilton, the Bruins are 18th in the league. Nice for some teams, but when you have one of the best goalies in the world in Tuukka Rask, it’s unacceptable to allow so many goals.

The Bruins had three first round picks this year, we don’t know how any of the players are going to turn out yet, but already it feels like the picks were grossly mismanaged. It wasn’t a necessarily strong draft class this past year after McDavid and Eichel and the rest of the top five. It seems as though the Bruins would have been better off packaging picks to either try and move up in the draft or get 1st round picks for 2016. Instead, the Bruins picked 13,14, and 15 in a row with Jakub Zboril, Jake DeBrusk, and Zachary Senyshyn. Zboril only has 10 points in 28 games for the St John Sea Dogs in the QMJHL, which is down from last year. Hopefully he’s focusing more on the defensive side of the puck. DeBrusk has cooled down this year after scoring 42 goals in the WHL last year, so far he has just 14 goals in 38 games for the Red Deer Rebels. Senyshyn is having a solid year in the OHL, with 29 goals through 44 games which leads his team. He’s also 4th in the OHL in goals.

There’s clear potential in those players, but by the time they’re ready to compete at the NHL level, the window will be closing on Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, and Tuukka Rask and it will be firmly closed on Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg. The Bruins have players entering their prime in Brad Marchand, Matt Beleskey, and Jimmy Hayes, as well as young players who have shown glimpses of promise in David Pastrnak and Ryan Spooner. On defense it’s arguable that there isn’t a single top pair combo that can compete for a Stanley Cup. Zdeno Chara after 17 years is no longer dominant and has been having real problems moving the puck out of his own end. Torey Krug has not developed as much as expected. Dennis Seidenberg has yet to score a goal in 2015/16 and at times has been disastrous in the neutral zone. Colin Miller and Zach Trotman have shown quick glimpses of potential, but nothing long enough to warrant anything beyond cautious optimism. Adam McQuaid and Kevan Miller both seem to always be dealing with injuries.

It leads one to wonder, what exactly are the Bruins doing? At one point they had a potential franchise offensive player and top pairing defensive player both in their early 20’s. Now they have neither and are fighting for their playoff lives every night. The Bruins were a premier franchise for four or five years and they had the potential to win the Stanley Cup any of those years. Now, fans would be happy with a playoff appearance. The core of the team hasn’t changed, but the front office and coaching staff is having a very difficult time phasing in younger players and using players from trade or free agency effectively like the Chicago Blackhawks have done.

The Bruins need to focus on the development of Ryan Spooner and David Pastrnak as well as their three first round picks and hope to trade or acquire a top tier defenseman from outside the organization if they want to turn the ship around. The front office has already admitted they probably mishandled Tyler Seguin, let’s hope they’re not saying the same thing about Dougie Hamilton in three years.

-Josh

In this episode, Sal and Josh recap the Divisional round of the playoffs and preview the Conference Championship round. Also, is Rachael Ray's face hotter than Giada's boobs?

In this episode, Sal and Josh talk about the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs and the Chandler Jones saga. Also, randomly, they talk about Lucy Pinder.

In this episode, Sal and Josh break down Wild Card Weekend in the NFL. Also, they talk about the Winter Classic, Reddit, and ringing in the new year.

This has been great. Normally doing the research and watching film for a fight is, "whatever". I enjoy it, but ultimately I do it because I'm a betting man who likes being right. This was different. The past few days of rewatching fights and doing my research has been a real joy. With the latest huge cards featuring McGregor and Rousey, this event, featuring Condit and Lawler will not draw the same PPV numbers, but those who buy in will not be disappointed.

Everyone knows what kind of a tear Lawler has been on. The way he ended the fight against Hendricks, throwing hands and kicks with viscous intent and anger, looking like a man possessed who wanted to go an other few rounds with the champ. Then the way he ended the last fight with Rory McDonald, taking a man's will to fight away from him, stealing Rory's soul with a jab that crumbled the challenger. Yet, Lawler came into both fights as the underdog. The take away from these fights was how, to put it frankly, how tough and scary Robbie Lawler is.

Condit on the other hand has been out of the lime light. Just three fights in the last three years, including a long lay off after a leg injury that cost him a fight against Tyron Woodley. Bookmakers seemed to have forget what he can bring to the table by opening the line up Lawler -145 and who can blame them. With just two wins in his last five fights it's a surprise he's even getting this title shot at all! But this is the UFC and superior styles make superior fights. When these two strikers get into the cage, the Fertittas can start writing the "Fight Of The Night Bonus" checks out.

Robbie has single handedly brought the "sprawl n' brawl" back to the UFC. He's been able to force opponents into these stand up slug-fests as of late and by using his experience and sheer will to win he's been able to eek out victories. The fans love it, the UFC loves it, and he's doing it all at what should have been the tail end of his career. I don't know with this style if he can keep it up in this particular match up tho. Carlos Condit is a technician on the feet. Robbie has been fortunate to implement his sprawl against wrestlers and force them to stand and trade. Carlos wants the fight there anyways. Robbie is hitable, we watched Rory come incredibly close to ending that last fight in the third and fourth rounds. Not to mention the judges were giving him the fight before he was TKOed. If Robbie thinks he can survive the pace, the versatility, and the power of Condit standing for 25 minutes I think he will be in a world of shit come the championship rounds. The striking arsenal Condit has and the coaching from Winkle-John and Jackson's MMA is a bad match up for most of the division, let alone a UFC vet of 13 years who was very wobbled from a checked head kick in his last bout. Condit's chin on the other hand is looks fine, never been knocked out and has shown to recover well from head strikes. If this is a pure stand up fight then I think it's undoubtedly worth a bet on Condit. That's a big "if" Condit has shown some of the worst take down defense in the division. Embarrassingly bad in some spots. There's no explaining it. He's never tired or worn out, he's not generally in a bad position to sprawl and he's very athletic. It's almost as if he doesn't know that guys are allowed to take him down. If Lawler wants to put in a workman like ground and pound performance, I think he can. Condit will be able to get up, he will throw up submission attempts, he will work sweeps and try to take the back. But we've seen in fights that if things are going too well for him on the feet his opponent isn't scared of stealing a round in half guard.

The line makes sense. It's at about a pick'em right now. I can't confidently put even money on a challenger to take away a champ's title, but what I can do is wait for a "Condit inside the distance" bet at plus money. I'm not endorsing a big play here, but if the odds are good enough I can justify betting Carlos Condit via Headkick TKO in the 4th round against a tired Robbie Lawler.

Wish I had a more confident play here but that's what makes this fight so intriguing! I'm hoping for a stand up war and I think Condit would come out the victor in that scenario but his takedown defense is too poor for me to endorse that. Unfortunately I think we will know quickly if Lawler wants to take it to the ground or not. If he doesn't I'll be on the couch with my left over Chinese food boxes and empty beer cans yelling at the tv "I should have fucking bet more on fucking Condit!"

-Sal

In this episode, Sal and Josh review all the big moments in 2015, also, it's about an hour of nonsense that people are going to love to hear.

In this episode, Sal & Josh celebrate Christmas and talk about all things sports. Also, they get wasted.

The Chargers went into last weekends game just one point dogs against a dumpster fire of a team in the Miami Dolphins. A highly emotional, potentially last game in San Diego for the Chargers brought out the best in the team, leading them to a double digit victory in front of the home crowd. After the game the players were seen crying and even laying on the field. A dominate team win to cap off the season at home.

There we have it, the perfect recipe for a let-down game. That locker room must have been an emotional cesspool of hugs and kisses after the game. With players cleaning out their lockers, packing for the road trip, and savoring the potential last moments of the stadium on Sunday.

Conversely 484 miles north, the Raiders are planning their own emotional firework show. Monday, future First ballot Hall of Famer Charles Woodson, announced that this will be his final season in the NFL. Players and coaches said they were, "determined to send out Woodson in the right way at home."

Regression to the mean? At its core the Raiders have been a very talented and hard team to play all year. The Chargers have not. I would assume this is about a -5 Raiders line on any given week this year. With the perfect storm of emotional indifferences this has to be the lock of the yea... how about just lock of the week?

Raider -5

Sal

Today, Martin Schkreli, The CEO of Turing was arrested for Securities Fraud. You may know Schkreli as the CEO who raised the price of a life-saving HIV pill from $13.50 to $750. You may also know him as the man who purchased the only copy of the most recent Wu-Tang Clan album for $2 million. Shkreli is without a doubt the most vile human being who has ever existed.

 In the world that we live in today, where Donald Trump (Biff Tannen) is running for President of the United States, Robert Durst should’ve won an Emmy, and Vladimir Putin is beloved for riding a bear with his shirt off (I saw that on the internet, it’s true). We needed a new villain. Osama Bin Laden is dead, Sadam Hussein is dead, Whitey Bulger is in jail. The world needed someone to fill that spot. Martin Schkreli is that man.

 First off, he just looks like a comic book villain. Squirrely face, evil, dead-looking eyes, greasy hair. I mean, you’d think this was Stan Lee’s greatest creation. From all accounts Schkreli is a money hungry douche bag that only cares about the bottom line. From his Reddit AMA, he freely admits that he handled the PR, “poorly”. As if raising the price of a life-saving drug to a ridiculous margin was some PR controversy that could’ve been dealt with better.

 During this same AMA, he was accused of creating multiple accounts in order to change the conversation during the AMA. He created as many as 26 fake accounts, ranging in username from “cottonpicker2” to “shkrelidelic”.  Also, another hot topic with so many people is animal testing in the biotech world. Something most people agree is inhumane. What are Shkreli’s thoughts? “Tremendously sad, but necessary.”

 You should really go through the AMA because it is riddled with things that only someone who has accepted that he’s a villain would say. In fact, all of his Reddit usage is this way. When given stock advice he responded, “please don’t try and give me advice”, “ u guys r funny”, “you are dumb”, and “you are new to investing.”

 Just making a quick look through his timeline again, here are some other out of context quotes, “yes dumbass”, “Don’t quite school.”, ”GTFO”, “I’m on vacation and I work more than any other pharma CEO. Ask around.”, “The hatred is strong in those who know nothing.”, “NO SHIT. IT IS ASSUMED THAT WHEN I SAY A MORE EFFICACIOUS PYRI I MEAN A BRAND NEW DRUG. SORRY FOR ASSUMING AN INTELLIGENT AUDIENCE.”, “I don’t have a hedge fund.”, “No driver’s license. Never owned a car.”, “Kiss my ass.”, “no one calls me, most just hang up. Too afraid.”, “You’re insulting my entire R&D department when you say that. Go fuck yourself.”, “I must admit that some of the hate does provoke laughter, especially if the hate is born of ignorance.”

 I mean, reading all of those out of context quotes just reads like a cheap 90’s comic book villain. It’s unbelievable. I can’t wait to see what this guy does next. Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s the scum of the earth, and he’s no anti-hero. But there is a 1,000% chance that this guy is planning on blowing up the sun or something. There’s no way he’s going to do any jail time for this arrest, which is going to infuriate people even more.

 Martin Shkreli is without a doubt the #1 villain in the world right now, and I can’t wait to find out what super hero it is that takes him down. I think Iron Man or Superman would be the best choice. Iron Man is a genius scientist, Superman stands up for the common man.

 The only thing left is to find a real good villain name for this guy.

-Josh

In this episode, Sal & Josh discuss the results of UFC 194 and they talk about Week 15 of the NFL season. Also, they're what the French call, les incompetents.

In this episode, Sal & Josh talk about Week 14 of the NFL, UFC 194, and how to be cool at weddings. Also, a new segment, the WTF Sports Story of the Week!

July 11th, 2015, though just five months ago, feels like an eternity since the highly anticipated featherweight fight between reigning champion Jose Aldo and up and coming contender Conor McGregor were scheduled to fight. The world tour, the press conferences, the stare downs, all leading up to the biggest fight in each man's career was cancelled. A rib injury suffered in the Brazilian champions training camp would derail the thousand pound hype train for the UFC, opening the door for Chad Mendes to steal the spotlight.

 Fortunately for the UFC match makers, their super star The Notorious Conor McGregor managed to weather the wrestlers storm and set up the next fight to be the two original power houses to colliding in December. In doing so we learned about Conor’s game. I personally had questions about his cardio. Finishing his opponents quickly was nice but what would he do when things weren't going his way? Questions were abounding about his chin. The massive weight cut routinely had McGregor looking sucked out and skeletal the day prior to fights. Many believe a hard cut that depletes the body of water has led to fighters being susceptible to knock outs. These questions McGregor has answered and then some. Taking hard shots and walking right through them, showing no signs of slowing down after being out wrestled for most of the first round. Proving he's walking the walk as well as talking that infamous talk.

 In the first scheduled fight I had been looking to bet the champ. Now what I've seen from McGregor has me reconsidering. Not only that, but it's what I haven't seen from Aldo that enforces that sentiment.

It's been almost 14 months since Aldo has fought in the octagon, a hard fought close five round decision victory over Chad Mendes in October of 2014. Now I'm not a journalist. I have no credible sources. I am just a man who obsesses with the sport from the comfort of my couch. But there are things going on in the sport that worry me for Jose Aldo. First off, Father Time is undefeated. Aldo has been in this game a long time. Never knocked out but he's not impossible to hit and McGregor is about the hardest puncher Aldo has ever faced. Secondly, it's the size, Aldo has long been successful fighting in a weight class that has men his size fighting like men his size. Conor uses his kicks to gauge distance and "jab" his opponent in and out of his desired range. Lastly, and this is why I say I am in no way a journalist, to ignore the usage of steroids in MMA would be ignorant. When a champion of a decade has had the success of someone like Aldo there will be speculations. This past year the UFC has introduced a new more stringent drug policy. Harder testing, more frequent, and "out of camp" testing. Aldo has had interesting contamination stories about his piss tests in the past and the Brazilians have hands down the worst reputation when it comes to cheating. He was cleared by medical doctors last time and pulled himself from the fight. I have questions about how clean he has been. Add that to the fact that "ring rust" of a 14 month lay-off is hard for any fight, let alone the pace, speed, timing, and movement that McGregor will implore is almost impossible to recreate inside the walls of the Nova União Gym.

 Of course this is just my "bro science" opinion. Looking at this fight from afar it's absolutely a close fight. Lines have been moving in favor of the contender because of the public's... well, let's be honest... Ireland's not scared of laying the juice and backing their guy. The pros will tell you how close this fight actually is. But in sports betting I always say that if you can get enough little advantages it will add up. In the highly anticipated pay per view main event I will be betting Conor Mcgregor to beat Jose Aldo by late second round TKO.

-Sal

Tune into the news on any broadcast or cable station and you’ll see dozens of stories, locally and nationally, about the dire straits we find ourselves in as a country. Whether it’s the ineffectiveness in the Democratic Presidential administration or the incompetence of the Republican led Congress, the complaints never end. It begs the question, why is this the news?

It’s simple, do people tune in to Bill O’Reilly to hear about the “great” things the Republicans are doing or to hear about the “terrible” things Democrats are doing? Same goes on the other side, why do people tune into Rachel Maddow? Is it to hear about the latest liberal triumph, or to hear her tear down conservatives? And the public that calls into these shows, do they call in to praise their own or to criticize their opponents?

We’ve turned into such a negative country. All the highest rated cable programs are reality shows that, despite the egos of the “celebrities” involved, we all watch because we’re able to think, “Thank goodness we’re not like them.”

The only possibility that I can see for this behavior is that it’s a self-esteem issue. In this world we live in, where people are always trying to keep up with the Jones’, we’ve caused ourselves serious harm. It’s so easy for people to latch on to the mistakes of others than face their own. Why isn’t it easy to connect with peoples successes? Jealousy. We define ourselves and others by yearly income, personal possessions, accomplishments, even the amount of Twitter followers we have. When one sees someone doing better, rather than commending their accolades and using that to better oneself, the natural inclination is to not care, or to find a way to demean them. Any success immediately breeds critics.

The New England Patriots are the greatest NFL team since 2001. There’s no denying it, they’ve won four Super Bowls, been to two others, and they’ve had a .759 winning percentage in the regular season. Yet, if you Google “New England Patriots” you’ll find people calling them cheaters, saying they skirted the rules, or calling their coach Darth Vader. Full disclosure, I’m a Patriots fan. Let’s use an example that I don’t have obvious bias towards. The New York Yankees were the best team in the MLB in the 1990’s. Again, no denying it, some of the greatest players, many of whom will be in the Hall of Fame, winning multiple championships. Yet again, ask most people and they’ll have universally (outside of New York) negative things to say. “Yeah they were a good team, but they had all the money to pay those players” or “Of course they were great, but it was also the steroid era and who knows how many of their players took steroids.” Why is it so difficult to celebrate greatness?

What many people are probably thinking to themselves is, “but what about the underdog? The world loves a good underdog story!” Well of course we do. In our minds, we’re the underdog. The cards have been stacked against us. We were underestimated, we were undervalued, and if given the chance, we’d be the underdog. The second that underdog becomes the favorite though, public perception changes very quickly to the negative.

Is there a solution to this? Is there any way that we’ll be able to turn on the news and hear about the business owner who created 100 new jobs this quarter or a story about a local representative who gave their time on a weekend to give back to their community? There certainly isn’t a solution I can come up with in a few hundred words. It’s going to take a complete cultural shift to really change anything.

I think the first step to that shift occurred months ago when Curt Schilling called out a multitude of people who said vile, disgusting things about his daughter on Twitter. There were a few people who tried to make sense of the situation and say that Curt and his daughter had to expect that type of reaction because that’s just what happens on Twitter. More encouraging though, were the people who said that that’s not a good enough answer. It’s not a good enough answer; you’re allowed to be proud of your daughter, you’re allowed to share that with people who consider themselves your “fans” or your “followers”, and you’re allowed to do that and not expect “trolls” to verbally attack you and your family. The internet is not anonymous, there are consequences to your actions, whether it’s on Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, or any of the millions of internet forums.

It’s not good enough to say that, “that stuff happens” because it shouldn’t. There’s no reason for it other than jealousy and low self-esteem. Everyone is living in a movie where they’re the main character and they think they should be the center of attention. That’s not real life. The United States decided that people have the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Beyond that, nothing is owed to you. You get what you deserve. If you say terrible things about someone on the internet, they will be able to find you and possibly prosecute you. If you go on a rant about a politician or a sports figure or a celebrity figure, a potential employer is going to see it and you’re not going to get the job.

So my plea is for everyone to think about others. For a day, for an hour, for even a minute. Look around you and realize everyone is having the same incredible journey you are in their own head. We’re all human and we’re all trying to get by. Congratulate someone for doing well. Try and help someone who isn’t doing well. If you see something that you disagree with, try and come up with a better solution rather than just complaining. Maybe then we can turn on the news and see inspiring news stories instead of talking heads disagreeing.

Life isn’t easy, but with a little positivity, it doesn’t have to be you against the world.

-Josh

Since Dave Dombrowski has joined the Red Sox, I've seen a lot of talk about a fear that he's going to trade away all the young prospects. So I tried to break down the most recent situations.

Prospects Traded That Worked Out

Hanley Ramirez – Signed as an international Free Agent in 2000. At one point he was the #1 prospect in the Red Sox system. He was traded along with Anibal Sanchez for Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell, & Guillermo Mota. Hanley Ramirez had a successful career with the Marlins and Dodgers while struggling to stay healthy. Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell were critical to the success of the Red Sox and they were both instrumental to the Sox winning in 2007. This was a good trade for the Sox.

Phil Dumatrait – Drafted in 2000 in the 1st Round. Was traded in 2003 for Scott Williamson. Williamson pitched in 52 games for the Sox in 2003 & 2004 with an ERA in the low 3’s . Phil Dumatrait played in 42 games in his whole career.

Kelly Shoppach – Drafted in 2001. At one point was named the #7 Prospect in the Sox System. Was traded in 2006 along with Andy Marte & Guillermo Mota for Coco Crisp, Josh Bard, and David Riske. Coco Crisp was disappointing offensively in his three years with the Red Sox but has had a good career in Oakland. Kelly Shoppach had one good year in Cleveland before bouncing around the league with a sub .200 AVG. Very similar to Josh Bard. Overall this trade just barely worked in the Sox favor.

Andy Marte – Was once named the #1 prospect in the Red Sox system. Was acquired in a trade for Edgar Renteria. Was then traded along with Guillermo Mota and Kelly Shoppach for Coco Crisp. As said with Kelly Shoppach, Coco Crisp was disappointing, but not as disappointing as Andy Marte. He went on to go back and forth between AAA and the majors with Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Anaheim, and eventually Arizona. Again, overall, this trade just barely worked for the Sox.

Brandon Moss – Drafted in 2002. Played for the Sox in 2007 & 2008. He was traded along with Craig Hansen & Manny Ramirez for Jason Bay. Brandon Moss was a late bloomer but found a career in Oakland from 2012-2014. At one point he was an All-Star. Jason Bay was an All-Star and 7th in MVP voting in 2009 with the Red Sox. Before his inexplicable drop-off in 2010, Jason Bay was a very good player and you wonder what would’ve happened to him if he was resigned by the Red Sox. This trade was a win for the Sox since they dumped Manny, got a good player in Jason Bay, and Hansen ended up being a bust. Despite Moss’ limited success, it’s hard to imagine he would’ve gotten the playing time with the Sox that he got in Oakland.

Justin Masterson – Drafted in 2006. Masterson pitched well for the Sox in 2008 before being traded away to Cleveland in 2009 with Nick Hagadone & Brian Price for Victor Martinez. Masterson was a dependable pitcher for Cleveland, even making the All-Star team in 2013. He resigned with the Red Sox this year and has been a disappointment as a starter and out of the pen and was just recently released. Victor Martinez only stayed with the Red Sox for one more year but was an All-Star and hit over .300. There were concerns that Martinez was getting old. But he has had three successful seasons with Detroit

Nick Hagadone – Drafted in 2007. At one point he was ranked the 3rd best prospect in the Red Sox system. He was involved in the trade for Victor Martinez. With Cleveland he was converted to a reliever and has been a below average contributor for them out of the pen since.

Casey Kelly – Drafted in 2008. At one point the #1 Prospect in the Red Sox System. He never pitched for the Red Sox Major League team. He was traded along with Anthony Rizzo, Reymond Fuentes, & Eric Patterson for Adrian Gonzalez. Here is Adrian Gonzalez’s line while with the Sox for 282 Games. 358 Hits 82 Doubles 42 Homeruns 203 RBI .318BA .377OBP. In 2011 with the Sox he was an All-Star, finished 7th in MVP voting, won the Silver Slugger and the Gold Glove. Kelly’s career ERA is 6.21 and he is now a reliever in the Padres minor league system.

Anthony Rizzo – Drafted in 2007. At one point the #3 Prospect in the Red Sox system. Part of the trade for Adrian Gonzalez. 2013-To-Date Numbers vs. Gonzalez. Rizzo 416 G, 415 H, 98 2B, 78 HR, 228 RBI, .271 AVG .371 OBP 2-Time All-Star. Gonzalez 432 G, 459 H, 100 2B, 73 HR, 289 RBI, .286 AVG, .347OBP, All-Star, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger. Anthony Rizzo is admittedly only 26 and looks to have a great career ahead of him. But had the Sox kept Gonzalez, he would’ve been more valuable the past few years than Rizzo.

Anthony Ranaudo – Drafted in 2010 as a first round pick. Ranaudo pitched relatively well for the Sox in 2014 starting 7 games. He was at best at the time a 5th starter. He was traded for Robbie Ross Jr this past offseason. He’s struggled in his few appearances for the Rangers this year. Robbie Ross Jr has been an average arm out of the pen for the Sox. Ranaudo should’ve had more time to develop with the Sox, but there are a lot of good young pitching prospects.

Prospects They Should Have Traded

Craig Hansen – At one time named the #4 Prospect in the Red Sox farm system. Drafted in 2005 Only season in the majors with Sox, posts a 6.63 ERA. Part of a throw in on the Ramirez/Jason Bay deal. I’d rather the few years of Jason Bay and being able to dump Manny at the time. Played poorly for the Pirates, unfortunately was diagnosed with Parsonage-Turner syndrome and was never the same. Could’ve been traded earlier for more.

Michael Bowden – At one time ranked the #5 Prospect in the Red Sox system. Was said to have the best control of any pitcher in the system. Career ERA of 4.1. Drafted in 2005 was traded in 2012 for Marlon Byrd. Marlon Byrd was released by the Red Sox a month and a half later, was then suspended 50 games for PED’s. Michael Bowden is currently in the Minnesota Twins minor league system. Definitely could’ve been traded earlier for more.

Manny Delcarman – Drafted in 2000. Made his debut in 2005. Pitched effectively 2005-2007 until the 2007 Playoffs when he allowed 4ER in 4-1/3IP. Didn’t play in the majors again. Was traded to the Rockies in 2010 for Chris Balcom-Miller. Hasn’t been with a team since 2013. Could’ve definitely been traded as a prospect.

Daniel Bard – Drafted in 2006. Bard had great seasons as a set-up man with the sox in 2009, 2010, and the first half of 2011. After that, looking for more money Daniel Bard was made a starting pitcher. He struggled the first two months of the season and was demoted in June of 2012. He pitched two games for Boston in 2013 allowing a hit and run over one inning. He hasn’t seen time in the Majors since. Bard was at one point considered untouchable by the Sox. He was mentioned in many trades, he should’ve been a part of them.

Ryan Kalish – Drafted in 2006 – Kalish was highly touted while in the minor leagues and in 2011 JP Ricciardi predicted that he would be a star. After injury troubles in 2011 and 2013 he never really got off the ground. He was released by the Red Sox following the 2013 season. He was signed by the Cubs in 2014 but never saw consistent playing time and struggled at the plate. He’s currently a free agent.

Lars Anderson – Drafted in 2006 – In 2008 he was named the Minor League Offensive Player of the Year for the Red Sox and was supposed to be the next big power threat. From 2010 to 2012 he only played in 30 total games for the Red Sox, never hitting a major league home run. He was traded in 2012 for Steven Wright. He hasn’t played in the majors since. Now while Steven Wright has ended up seeing some major league time with the Red Sox. Lars Anderson could have been traded sooner.

Will Middlebrooks – Drafted in 2007. At one point he was rated the #1 prospect in the Red Sox system. Middlebrooks has battled injuries his whole major league career. He showed flashes of power in 2012 and 2013 but wasn’t hitting for contact. He was traded following the 2014 season for Ryan Hanigan. Hanigan has been the every-day catcher for the Red Sox while healthy, but is not a good haul for someone who was once named the #1 prospect.

Ryan Lavarnway – Drafted in 2008. In2012 he was named the #9 prospect in the Red Sox organization. He was supposed to be an offensive catcher of the future for the Red Sox. He struggled to find playing time with the Red Sox and was eventually DFA’d in 2014. He was picked up by the Orioles but was eventually released the following year. He was signed by the Braves and has still been struggling to find playing time. He’s hitting below .200 in 24 games in 2015.

Clay Buchholz – Clay has been the definition of frustrating over his career. At times he has Ace stuff and is brilliant. At other times he has an ERA over 7.00 and can’t get out of the 3rd inning. Buchholz’ name was attached to a lot of trades early in his career. And one can’t help but wonder if the Sox could’ve gotten a bit more consistency out of whoever he was traded for.

Prospects They Should NOT Have Traded

Freddy Sanchez – Drafted in 2000. Was traded for Jeff Suppan in 2002. Suppan went 3-4 with a 5.57 ERA for the Sox in 2003. Freddy Sanchez went on to have an above average career. He was a 3-time All-star, he won the batting title in 2006. This is definitely a time when we should’ve kept a player instead of trading mid-season for a rental.

David Murphy – Drafted in 2003 – Murphy was traded to the Texas Rangers along with Kason Gabbard for Eric Gagne. Everyone remembers how that worked out. Gagne had a terrible season with Boston despite the Sox winning the World Series that year. David Murphy had an average career in Texas. It’s doubtful he would’ve received much playing time in Boston. Still, would’ve been better off with him than Eric Gagne.

Alex Wilson – Drafted in 2009. A quiet throw-in as part of the Yoenis Cespedes for Rick Porcello trade. Wilson is arguably the best arm in Detroit’s bullpen. He has a sub 2.00 ERA in 60IP in 2015. Will how bad Rick Porcello has pitched, this was a very, very poor trade for the Red Sox.

Prospects They Kept That Succeeded

Kevin Youkilis- Youkilis had a solid career with the Red Sox and it was a smart idea to keep him.

Jon Lester – Jon Lester was the definitive ace of the staff for the Red Sox before losing him to free agency. His name was tied to lots of trade rumors while he was still a prospect. He is a prime example of a time when it doesn’t pay to trade away a young player.

Jonathan Papelbon – Papelbon is one of the most dominant closers to ever pitch for the Red Sox. He was a 4-time All-Star and a key part of the 2007 World Series. While he was still a starter his name was thrown around in potential trades. He was good to hold onto and arguably should’ve been worth resigning.

Dustin Pedroia – Pedroia started his career the best way possible. He won Rookie of the year his first year and MVP in his second. Since he has been a perennial All-Star and one of the faces of the franchise. While his name wasn’t mentioned much in trades, it was still a great idea to keep him.

Jacoby Ellsbury – Jacoby Ellsbury was one of the most dynamic players to play center field for the Red Sox. He was an instrumental part of their 2007 & 2013 World Series Championship. He’s battled injuries throughout his career, but it’d be hard to argue that it was a mistake to keep him before eventually losing him in free agency.

Christian Vazquez – Vazquez has elite level defense at the catchers position. Him going down in 2015 was a major blow for the Red Sox. Assuming the Tommy John Surgery has no lasting effects, he should be a big part of the 2016 Sox.

Mookie Betts – Mookie is an electric player that has been streaky in 2015. He’s shown flashes of power and has taken to the outfield very well. Still at 22, he seems to be untouchable for the Sox.

Xander Boegarts – Boegarts had a difficult 2014 while moving between SS and 3B. In 2015 with the SS position squarely his, he’s becoming a star. He’s one of the best offensive SS in the AL. His power is still developing and at 22 years old, it should happen soon. He also seems to be untouchable.

Current Prospects

Brandon Workman – Workman is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery. Workman pitched effectively as a set-up man in the 2013 playoff run. With many pitching prospects for the Sox, I would imagine he will come back as a reliever next year and should help out of the pen. He doesn’t have a lot of value now.

Garin Cecchini – Once considered the best infield prospect the Sox had. Now is a bench player in 2015. His value is not as high as it once was and probably could’ve been a key part to a trade.

Matt Barnes – Barnes is a hard throwing pitcher who has shown flashes of brilliance. He won his most recent start and would have value in a trade.

Blake Swihart – Swihart has had an up and down year but has shown that he is Major League ready. With Christian Vazquez set to come back, it’s easy to imagine of them being part of a trade. Both hold extreme value.

Henry Owens – Owens was once the best pitching prospect the Red Sox had. He struggled with command in the minors this year, but finally made the majors this season and has pitched fairly well so far. He probably had more value last year, but is still valuable in trades.

Jackie Bradley Jr – Borderline a prospect as he’s been up and down from the Minors. JBJ has elite defense in the outfield. Probably the best defensive outfielder in the league. His bat is finally starting to come around, evidenced by his 5XBH performance. If the Red Sox outfield is going to be crowded with Hanley Ramirez, Mookie Betts, & Rusney Castillo, then JBJ’s value has never been higher. Either move on from Ramirez or get something for Jackie.

Deven Marrero – A very skilled defensive infielder. His bat has yet to catch up with him. He needs a few more years of development, but probably has value in a trade.

Brian Johnson – Johnson has been a revelation this year, as one of the best pitching prospects the Sox have. Unfortunately, the Sox have a lot of prospects but not a lot of legitimate starters. Between Owens, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Johnson, there aren’t enough spaces in the rotation for all of them. Any of them could be a marquee part of a deal.

Trey Ball – Number 7 overall pick, Trey Ball is still very green. He’s in High-A Salem and pitching below average. As a number 7 pick, hopefully he develops. Probably doesn’t have a lot of value currently.

Andrew Benintendi – Number 7 overall pick this year, Benintendi has impressed so far. He’s shown flashes of power and looks to be a good pick. Probably doesn’t have a lot of value yet, but he could in coming years.

Yoan Moncada – Signed out of Cuba, Yoan Moncada was the most sought after Cuban player this offseason. The Sox are taking their time with him and they should. He’s learning the game in A ball and is hittings .292 through 67 games. He’s had some injury trouble but has shown flashes of being a very dynamic player. He was 39 stolen bases and two triples this year. He probably has a lot of value, but this is one person the Sox should hold on to.

Eduardo Rodriguez – Rodriguez has been great for the Sox this year. At times he’s completely dominant and has no-hit stuff. At other times, he tips his pitches and gets run from the game early. He’s not untouchable, but he’s probably close. If he’s going to be part of a deal, it better be a blockbuster.

-Josh

In this episode, Sal & Josh discuss the upcoming week of football games, as well as the David Price signing. Also, they just have a lot of fun.