a flag draped over the Green Monster

F16 fighter jets buzzed the park

the Super Bowl champions emerged from behind the Green Monster to throw out the ceremonial first pitch

the starting lineups

a welcome message

the Sox take the field at Fenway for the first time in 2004

Johnny Damon took time off from picking through the Kenmore Square trash to pose for a photo to be displayed on the scoreboard

V.I.P.'s on hand included former U.S. President Bill Clinton

Under The Cushions

Sam Adams take note: the only portions of the home opener at Fenway without a sponsor were my frequent trips to the john.
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MTV might as well just tape the next season of The Osbournes from a rehab center.
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The Celtics lose five straight but back into the playoffs. Thanks Cleveland & Philly. The NBA's Eastern Conference is once again an embarrassment, but it is great to be in the playoffs just for the chance to piss off Danny Ainge.
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Due to injuries and an overtaxed bullpen staff, Brian Daubach was released to bring up Frank Castillo from the minor leagues. Say it isn't so. As a selfish Red Sox fan, hopefully Daubach clears waivers and makes it to Pawtucket. I still think he can help the Sox.

Castillo is another story. He throws all junk and works extremely slow with runners on base. When John Burkett retired I was ecstatic, as the past- their- prime junkball pitcher era of Dan Duquette was finally over. Now with an injury to Ramiro Mendoza and the ineffectiveness of Bobby Jones, we end up with Frank the Bank, as Ben Affleck once called him.
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I hate to say it, but I was watching Happy Gilmore on U.S.A. rather than the Masters. I blame Ben Stiller. He is hilarious as the domineering nursing home attendant. Of course the Masters was a good one, with Phil Mickelson winning after 46 straight appearances in Majors without a victory. At least I was watching a golf movie.
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After a mediocre performance, by his standards, in Baltimore during the season opener in Baltimore, Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy called Pedro Martinez the "Dominican John Burkett." Less than a week later, after a strong performance in a victory in Boston against the Blue Jays, Shaughnessy called Pedro the "righty Tanana." Shaughnessy is the red- haired buffoon. I get the fact that Pedro is being paid $17.5 million this year, the highest salary ever for a pitcher. Yes, he can be a diva, but guys like Shaughnessy pile on the negativity no matter what the outcome. Do Sox fans care if Pedro is throwing 105, 95, or 25, as long as he is winning? If I were Pedro I probably would not talk to certain members of the media either.
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Bill should win on The Apprentice. He has been solid from the beginning, while Kwame has sort of skated through. Bill's only lapse was when he told Amy that Nick was sick of being thought of as 'gay' because they had yet to hook up. It was kind of a joke that Amy got booted so quickly last week. She has certainly outperformed Kwame, and the interview sessions essentially made all of the preceding episodes a moot point. They should have done the interviews earlier to weed out the candidates with personality types that do not match the organization. What is the point of getting that far if you are going to be eliminated so abruptly based on answers to questions rather than actual performance? It was a waste of the applicant and the viewer's time, but I guess that is TV for you.
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Questions, Questions

The Houston Astros placed prized free agent lefty acquisition Andy Pettite on the 15 days disabled list. Will Roger Clemen$ retire for the same 2 weeks to take care of him?
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The Patriots win the Super Bowl. The University of Connecticut men and women's basketball teams both win the NCAA championships. The Bruins & Celtics are in the playoffs. Is this the best run for New England sports since 1986?
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Is there anything better than hearing John Fogerty's 'Centerfield' over the Fenway loudspeakers as the Red Sox take the field?
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Why is every Sox manager so eager to pinch run for Manny Ramirez late in games? Is the gain in speed on the basepaths really worth the potential loss of his bat later in the game? Has the strategy ever even paid off?
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