Boston Sports Media Watch

The Celtics took a 2-0 series lead on the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 89-73 win at the Garden last night.

Marc J. Spears has the Celtics putting the squeeze on LeBron James and the Cavs once again. Mark Murphy hopes that Celtics fans don’t get carried away by their team’s containment of LeBron in the first two games of the series. Kevin McNamara has the comforts of home once again leading the way to victory for Boston. Scott Souza has the Celtics overcoming a slow first quarter before charging back and coasting past the Cavs. Bill Doyle notes that by the end of the night Ben Wallace probably wasn’t the only Cav feeling dizzy. Mike Fine has the Celtics halfway to a series win. Jeff Howe has the Celtics bench helping them pull away from the Cavs.

Kevin Henkin on the BSMW Full Court Press has the Celtics gang defense once again smothering LeBron and the Cavs.

Dan Shaughnessy falls just short of calling LeBron James a playoff choker, comparing him to Ted Williams in the 1946 World Series and A-Rod in any postseason. Does Dan realize how foolish that is? Did he watch any of the playoffs last season? Of course he didn’t…OK, so the last line of Tony Massarotti’s column today was pretty clever, I’ll give him that. “Can all the King’s horses and all the King’s men put LeBron together again?” Jim Donaldson has LeBron appearing lost out on the court as the Celtics defense stifled him once again. Jeff Jacobs also chimes in on LeBron and the frustrating two nights he and his teammates have had in Boston. Jennifer Toland looks at another rough shooting night for James.

Bob Ryan looks at the contributions of the first four men off the Celtics bench - a group that turned the game around last night for Boston. Steve Bulpett says that the Celtics need to find a way to bottle their home brew intensity and take it on the road for games three and four. Lenny Megliola also looks at the challenge facing the Celtics now that they’ll be heading back out on the road for the next two games. Julian Benbow examines how the Celtics defense is frustrating LeBron. Robert Lee has more on the Celtics bench players stepping up big last night. Massarotti has Danny Ainge speaking on in defense of Doc Rivers and the playoff performance of his team, both at home and on the road.

Christopher L. Gasper has Ray Allen finally breaking out and exploding in the second half, scoring all 16 of his points in the third and fourth quarter. Jeff Horrigan has Allen and the basketball settling their differences and getting along nicely in the second half last night. Tim Weisberg also looks at Allen finding his way in the second half, and along with him, the rest of the Celtics as well. Bulpett has Kevin Garnett honored with a place on the All-NBA first team.

Michael Vega has the Cavs hoping to get back on track back in the comforts of home. Horrigan has former Celtics short-timer and current Cavs reserve Damon Jones speaking about the rise of the Celtics.

Spears’ notebook has more on Garnett being named to the first team All-NBA. Pierce is on the third team. Murphy’s notebook has Sam Cassell stepping up at point after Rajon Rondo struggled to begin the game. McNamara’s notebook has more on Ray Allen getting back on track in the second half last night. Doyle’s notebook has more on the first team honors for Garnett. Vega’s notebook has Cavs coach Mike Brown endorsing Rick Carlisle for the Dallas job.

Red Sox

Gordon Edes has Kevin Youkilis once again leading the Red Sox offense in a victory over the Tigers. Rob Bradford has Josh Beckett hitting his stride in last night’s win. Steven Krasner has a locked-in Youkilis leading the Sox once again. Jeff Goldberg and Bill Ballou have more on Youkilis and Beckett leading the way for the Sox.

Steve Buckley has Youkilis lighting up Comerica Park once again. Amalie Benjamin has Beckett firmly in control of this one. Buckley reports on Curt Schilling’s catch session. Bradford looks at Dustin Pedroia’s skills at pinch hitting, which have saved the Red Sox a few times already. Admit it, you’re impressed that Manny knew that Lenny Harris is the all time pinch hit leader…

Benjamin’s Minor League Notebook has Daniel Bard finding himself in Hawaii. Joe McDonald has Sean Casey and Alex Cora taking care of their temporary PawSox teammates.

Edes’ notebook observes that the centerfield platoon has pretty much been an even split. Krasner’s notebook has Beckett picking career strikeout number 1000 last night. Bradford’s notebook has David Ortiz and Mike Lowell showing signs of rounding into form. Goldberg’s notebook has Pedroia not faked out by Detroit third baseman Carlos Guillen on a popup last night. Ballou’s notebook has the play reminding Francona of a play in the 2003 postseason between the Red Sox and A’s.

Media/Other

Nancy Marrapese-Burrell chats with new NESN field reporter Heidi Watney.

David Scott has Gordon Edes filing an appeal with the New York Times Company’s ERISA Management Committee.

Some former Patriots were in town yesterday, and there’s still plenty of spygate talk out there, including from Arlen Specter. Check out all the coverage on the all new PatriotsLinks.com - now with videos and photos as well.

Popularity: 5% [?]

So after months and months of speculation that ex-Patriots employee Matt Walsh possessed damning evidence against the team above and beyond what they had already been punished for, Walsh revealed the goods yesterday, and surprise, surprise, there was no tape of the Rams walkthrough prior to Super Bowl XXXVI in his collection. What he did have was what we already knew - and what the Patriots had already admitted - tapes that showed they had been taping opposing signals since the start of the Belichick era.

As part of the release yesterday, Walsh’s attorneys also stated that he was not the source of John Tomase’s infamous story the day before this year’s Super Bowl that claimed that a tape of the Rams walkthrough exists.

What’s next? Is Arlen Specter or Roger Goodell going to demand to talk to Tomase and make him give up his source? (I’m only half kidding, folks) Will Peter King, Mike Florio and Gregg Easterbrook finally shut up? I doubt it.

It would seem that Walsh was simply out for his 15 minutes of fame, and he certainly got it, thanks to an overzealous media eager for anything new to pin on the Patriots.

Mike Reiss reports on the eight tapes that Walsh is returning, while John Tomase keeps it simple, and doesn’t elaborate on his February story of the walkthrough and how Walsh’s denial fits or does not fit into that. However, David Heuschkel claims that the tapes could be damaging to Belichick because at least two of the tapes show offensive signals being recorded as well as defensive.

David Scott looks at Boston.com jumping the gun a bit last night in breaking the story, and also wonders what’s next for John Tomase and the Herald in this saga.

Reiss also has an article on new Patriots linebacker Victor Hobson, who talks about being on the other side of the Patriots/Jets rivalry.

Check all the coverage on the all-new PatriotsLinks.com

Celtics

Steve Bulpett says that the Celtics need to make a return to the team offense, especially during crunch time. Bob Ryan looks at how Sam Cassell has completely replaced Eddie House in the Celtics rotation, and whether that is a good thing or not. Scott Souza has Rivers trying to get the point guard rotation just right. Bill Burt submits a feature on how Danny Ainge built this team, and that Red Auerbach would be proud of him. Burt also recollects how Auerbach brought Ainge to Boston from the Toronto Blue Jays.

 Matt Richardson on the BSMW Full Court Press has some thoughts on Mike Brown’s Color Coordinated Eyewear and Other Random Observations.

Mark Murphy looks at Kendrick Perkins’ contributions on defense, which do not go unnoticed by his teammates. Mike Fine has Paul Pierce as one of those teammates who appreciates what Perkins brings to the floor for the Celtics. Robert Lee has the Celtics thriving on their defense at home in the postseason. Christopher L. Gasper has Ray Allen and Paul Pierce looking to give Kevin Garnett some help on the offensive end tonight. Fine has Pierce acknowledging that he has to do a better job tonight.

Bill Doyle says that the Celtics can learn plenty from their game one victory. Bulpett looks at how Rajon Rondo has managed to handle the increased pressure of the postseason. Buddy Thomas doesn’t believe that the Celtics can beat the Pistons in a seven game series.

In the Metro, I point out how that if you listened to the radio this week, you’d be sure that the Celtics can’t win this series.

Jeff Horrigan has LeBron James confident that he’ll bounce back tonight after the poor game one. Michael Vega has more on James’ faith in his ability to come back strong tonight.

Murphy’s notebook has the Celtics trying to figure out what adjustments the Cavs will make for tonight. Gasper’s notebook has Cassell disagreeing with the flagrant foul call on his encounter with James in game one. Lee’s notebook has Doc Rivers wanting to get Ray Allen involved early tonight. Horrigan’s notebook has the Cavs trying to figure out what to do with Kevin Garnett.

Red Sox

The Red Sox lost a roller-coaster in Detroit last night, 10-9. Gordon Edes has this one pinned on Julio Lugo, who made a crucial error in this one, his 10th of the young season. Rob Bradford has the Lugo blunder costing the Sox a great comeback. Bill Ballou has a Lugo error finally costing the Red Sox a game. Steven Krasner has the Sox wasting a great rally. Jeff Goldberg has Jonathan Papelbon being hit with his first blown save of the season.

Amalie Benjamin has the afternoon rain messing with the pitchers’ routines. Buckley has Jed Lowrie sticking around in the big leagues even after Mike Lowell’s return. Bradford has Jacoby Ellsbury remaining perfect in his career in stolen bases. He is now 22 for 22.

Steve Buckley has Lugo reacting to questions from the media about his struggles in the field. Benjamin has more on the fielding woes for Lugo. Jim Donaldson catches up with Luis Tiant.

Edes’ notebook has Clay Buchholz breaking the streak of great starts by the Red Sox rotation. Bradford’s notebook has Julian Tavarez OK with the trade rumors that have been floating around about him. Ballou’s notebook has Lowrie sticking around until Alex Cora is reactivated. Krasner’s notebook has more on Buchholz breaking the streak of quality starts. Goldberg’s notebook has Kevin Youkilis submitting the second two homer game of his career at Comerica Park.

Media

Adam Reilly has a look at how the Herald is falling short of the Globe in almost all areas except sports coverage. He suggests that that might be the area that publisher Pat Purcell should really try and attack the Globe, especially with the recent cutbacks on Morrissey Blvd.

Lenny Megliola checks out NESN’s newest field reporter, Heidi Watney.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Well, hopefully at least we won’t be hearing all day long on WEEI how Kevin Garnett doesn’t want the ball late in games…we’ll hear a lot about how the Celtics were lucky to win despite the struggles of LeBron James, but probably not much about how the Celtics managed to get a win despite getting only four points from Paul Pierce and none from Ray Allen. WEEI has been brutal on the Celtics this week, and it’s likely to continue.

Marc J. Spears has Garnett comparing last night’s game to a heavyweight fight. Mark Murphy has the Celtics running the house at LeBron James in an effort to contain the Cavs star. Scott Souza has the Celtics forcing James into a nightmarish game of 2-for-18 shooting night with 10 turnovers. Bill Doyle notes that despite that accomplishment, last night was anything but an easy win for the Celtics. Tim Weisberg has the Celtics executing a revolt on The King last night. Jeff Howe has a couple of popular theories going by the boards last night.

 Kevin Henkin of the BSMW Full Court Press was at the game in the stands, and offers his thoughts from the night.

Bob Ryan says that the Garden will need a fumigator after this one. He adds, “No one actually won this game. Someone had to not lose it.” Steve Bulpett adds that we should all hope never to see a sequel to this horror show last night. Lenny Megliola is still trying to make sense of this one. Mike Fine says that it was an ugly night to be sure, but the Celtics will take this one.

Tony Massarotti examines the huge effort from Kevin Garnett last night, and adds that now the Cavs need to find someone to try and stop the Big Ticket. Peter May says that aggressiveness served Garnett well last night, especially down the stretch. Massarotti has KG finishing third in the MVP vote which was officially revealed yesterday.

Christopher L. Gasper has veterans James Posey and Sam Cassell coming up big down the stretch for the Celtics. Dan Ventura has Cassell showing his stuff by scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter to help the Celtics to the win. Bill Burt has Cassell doing what he does best…just making shots. Howe has more on the playoff proven Cassell. Robert Lee has Rajon Rondo getting off to a strong start last night for the Celtics. May has Doc Rivers getting the monkey off his back by finally winning a first round playoff series.

Spears’ notebook has Garnett coming in third in the MVP voting, behind the winner, Kobe Bryant and the runner-up, Chris Paul. Murphy’s notebook has Pierce taking satisfaction in the win despite his own personal struggles offensively last night. Kevin McNamara’s notebook examines the Celtics defensive strategy on James. Doyle’s notebook has Delonte West fitting in nicely with the Cavs. In Burt’s notebook, he eloquently tells us that James “really stunk” last night. Jim Fenton’s notebook has KG carrying the Celtics to the win last night.

Cavs

Dan Shaughnessy manages to compare LeBron to both Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain in separate passages of his column today on the struggles of the Cavs superstar last night. Jennifer Toland has LeBron missing in action last night, thanks to the Celtics defense.

Michael Vega has Zydrunas Ilgauskas coming up big for the Cavs last night with 22 points. Bulpett has a look at Wally Szczerbiak, who encouraged Danny Ainge to go after Garnett, and has nothing but good things to say about his time with the Celtics. Ventura similarly checks in with Delonte West about his time with Boston. Lee says that West might prove to be a hidden gem for the Cavs.

Vega’s notebook has a look at the adjustments Szczerbiak and West have made since joining the Cavs, and what returning to the Garden last night was like for them.

Other

For the second straight day my time is short this morning. The Red Sox shut out the Tigers last night 5-0 behind Tim Wakefield. Check the coverage at RedSoxLinks.com.

There are a few leftover Patriots stories out there from rookie minicamp. Check them out at PatriotsLinks.com.

Popularity: 15% [?]

The Celtics tip off their Eastern Conference Semifinal series with the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight at the Garden. The game will only be shown on TNT. Comcast SportsNet will only get to carry games 2 and if necessary, game 6 of this series. CSN will have full editions of Celtics Pre-Game Live & Celtics Post Game Live before the game tonight (7:30) and immediately after the game, and will include Tom Heinsohn and Mike Gorman as part of those programs.

Bob Ryan has a look at the singular force that is LeBron James. Scott Souza looks at how the Celtics will try and go about slowing down LeBron and the Cavs. Mark Murphy has a look at the matchup between Paul Pierce and LeBron, which has created some highlights and friction in the past. Kevin McNamara examines what the Celtics are up against in LeBron. Bill Doyle has Paul Pierce getting ready to face The King. Mike Fine looks at Pierce getting the unenviable assignment of guarding LeBron to start the games.

Peter May has five factors that may determine who wins this series. Steve Bulpett has five keys to the series for the two clubs. Murphy has a look at how the Celtics match up with the Cavs. Tim Weisberg provides us with a course in Cavs 101.

Christopher L. Gasper has the Celtics getting their focus on the Cavs after finally dispatching the Hawks on Sunday. Rich Thompson has James Posey getting ready for a huge dose of LeBron in this series. Bulpett says Rajon Rondo will be a key in this series as he tries to pressure the ball and make LeBron be forced to bring the ball up.

Michael Vega has the Cavs still adjusting to their huge midseason makeover. Jeff Howe has more on the Cavs transformation this season.

The Globe notebook has the two clubs praising each other rather than talking trash. McNamara’s notebook has the Celtics getting ready to renew acquaintances with Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West. Murphy’s notebook has Ray Allen trying to work through his cold shooting spell. Fine’s notebook has the Cavs paying respect to the Celtics’ traditions. Jim Fenton’s notebook has the former Celtics posing an outside threat in this series.

Red Sox

The Red Sox pulled one out in Detroit last night by the score of 6-3 despite issuing 10 walks on the evening. Check all the coverage at RedSoxLinks.com.

Popularity: 20% [?]

Image details: Atlanta Hawks v Boston Celtics, Game 7 served by picapp.com

(Before we dive into the Celtics and Red Sox links, I encourage you to head over to Patriots Daily and check out the latest offering from Chris Warner for a position-by-position look at how the Patriots can improve this season.)

The Celtics took care of business on their home court yesterday demolishing the Atlanta Hawks by the score of 99-65. The Celtics now move on to play the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round, with game one coming up tomorrow night at the Garden.

Marc J. Spears says that the Celtics can finally sleep well after having finally dispensed of the pesky Hawks. Mark Murphy has the Celtics hoping that the pressure of this series will pay off later. Kevin McNamara has the Celtics putting the hammer down in convincing fashion yesterday. Scott Souza has the Celtics making the Hawks nothing more than a footnote yesterday. Bill Doyle has the Celtics letting the Hawks…and the rest of the NBA…know that they haven’t forgotten how to play defense. Tim Weisberg notes that this was “sporting devastation not seen ’round these parts since late fall.” Jeff Howe has the Celtics vaporizing the Hawks at the Garden yesterday.

On the BSMW Full Court Press, Kevin Henkin has KG and company delivering a message in the series clincher.

Dan Shaughnessy has Paul Pierce leading the way as the Celtics avoid being placed “in the local gulag of all-time chokers.” Jeff Jacobs says that with the win, the Celtics avoided the “the worst gag job in franchise history, the worst gag job in NBA history, the worst gag job in sports history, the worst … well, consult the 2004 American League Championship Series if you still need further clarification.” Tony Massarotti has the Celtics defending themselves and everything they stand for with their performance yesterday. Bill Reynolds says that seeing the big three dive all over the floor told you that this was a game they were not going to lose. Lenny Megliola has the Celtics bringing the intensity to the Garden yesterday.

Michael Vega has the Celtics getting back to what they do best - getting stops when they needed them. Steve Bulpett has Pierce’s silence since game 4 proving deadly for the Hawks. David Brown says that the Hawks really stood no chance on the Celtics home court yesterday. Jeff Horrigan has a look at the flagrant 2 foul committed on Rajon Rondo by Marvin Williams, which resulted in the ejection of Williams from the game. Howe has Kevin Garnett getting it done yesterday.

Horrigan has Kendrick Perkins giving the Celtics a huge spark with a double-double plus five blocked shots. Robert Lee has Perkins saving his best for the series clincher. Jennifer Toland has more on Perkins saving his best for last in this series. Bill Burt says that Perkins certainly was a lot better than he was in his last game 7 appearance.

Massarotti has Doc Rivers finally getting out of the first round of the NBA playoffs. Brown says that the defense didn’t rest yesterday for Boston. Julian Benbow has the Hawks looking to the future after their game 7 loss. Lee has the young Hawks fizzling out in the biggest game of their lives.

Spears’ notebook has more on the William takedown of Rondo in the third quarter. Murphy’s notebook has the Hawks leaving town with the full respect of the Celtics. McNamara’s notebook has the Celtics finally able to get some sleep after having dispatched the Hawks. Weisberg’s notebook has Doc Rivers getting the first round monkey off his back. Doyle’s notebook has the Celtics not making the mistake that Washington did by calling LeBron overrated.

With the Cleveland Cavaliers up next, Steve Bulpett says that the Celtics won’t be taking that team lightly. Mike Fine says that the Cavs present a much more serious challenge for the Celtics than the Hawks did. Christopher L. Gasper takes a look at the Cavaliers, noting that while they’ve made many changes, LeBron is still what makes them go. Bulpett also has the Cavs giving the Celtics respect prior to the series.

Red Sox

Amalie Benjamin has Kevin Youkilis the offensive hero for the Red Sox yesterday, as he stepped into the #3 hole in the lineup to replace David Ortiz who was given the day off to rest his knee. Michael Silverman has the Red Sox bats finally coming back to life this weekend at Fenway. Paul Kenyon focuses on another strong start from Jon Lester. Paul Doyle has Lester finding his groove with the Red Sox. Eric Avidon looks at the Sox finishing off a three game sweep of the Rays. Paul Jarvey has a combination of power and speed propelling the Sox yesterday. Joe Haggerty has Lester and Youkilis leading the way for the Sox yesterday.

McAdam has the Red Sox rotation finally starting to round into shape. With Roger Clemens having fallen from grace, I think Nick Cafardo has a new binky in Jonathan Papelbon, whom he positively gushes over in today’s article. Stephen Harris has Jon Lester putting together another strong start yesterday. Alex Speier says that yesterday’s game shows that the Sox need both Coco Crisp and Jacoby Ellsbury.

Jon Couture explores the struggles of Manny Delcarmen this season. Brendan McGair wonders if Rockies backup catcher Chris Iannetta might be an option for either the Red Sox or Yankees. Rich Thompson has Youkilis fitting into the Big Papi role quite nicely yesterday. Maureen Mullen has more on Youkilis fitting in nicely in the three hole yesterday. Silverman notes that Ortiz’s sore right knee needed some rest yesterday.

Andy Vogt has a piece on WEEI Red Sox host John Rish.

Benjamin’s notebook has Craig Hansen getting recalled by the Sox to replace Brandon Moss on the roster. Silverman’ notebook has more on Hansen’s recall. The Projo notebook also reports on Hansen getting another shot with the big club. Doyle’s notebook has Ortiz seemingly not too concerned about his knee. Avidon’s notebook has more on Ortiz sitting out yesterday. Jarvey’s notebook also reports on Ortiz’s knee.

Popularity: 24% [?]

The Red Sox were shut out at Fenway Park last might 3-0, as the Blue Jays salvaged the last game of the three game series.

Michael Silverman notes that nothing could rescue the Red Sox silent bats last night. Gordon Edes has the Red Sox unable to muster the late inning heroics last night. Art Davidson has the Blue Jays finally able to close one out against the Red Sox. Paul Kenyon has A.J. Burnett shutting down the Red Sox last night. Ron Chimelis has the Red Sox bats kept silent for another night. Bill Ballou has the Red Sox wasting another strong pitching performance. Joe Haggerty says there were no last gasp rallies for the Sox last night. Jeff Goldberg has the Red Sox unable to pull off a third straight comeback.

Rob Bradford looks at the mighty struggles of the Red Sox bats in the last five games. Alex Speier examines how Brandon Moss has proven himself valuable to the Red Sox. Bradford also says that David Ortiz’ knee is still bothering him, and is causing concern. Rich Thompson checks in with Kevin Cash, who has settled into his role behind Jason Varitek on the team and is developing his routine for catching Tim Wakefield.

Sean McAdam looks at the curious scene in the ninth inning when a balk call gave the Red Sox another life against the Jays. Rich Thompson has Toronto closer BJ Ryan having to end the game twice, after a balk call gave the Red Sox another chance. Fluto Shinzawa steps over from the Bruins beat to also write about Ryan and his adventure to end the game.

Bradford has a look at Toronto hitting coach Gary Denbo, who helped Mike Lowell get his career back on track with private coaching after he was traded to the Red Sox. Steven Krasner has the Blue Jays causing themselves more problems on the basepaths.

Over in the Metro, I’ve got a look at how Roger Clemens finally passes Bonds in the ” most troubled baseball player over 40″ category.

Silverman’s notebook has the Red Sox eying Sarasota as a possible spring training site. Edes’ notebook says that clutch hitting is what has separated the Red Sox from the Blue Jays thus far this season. The ProJo notebook has more on the possibility of Sarasota as a future spring training location for the Red Sox. Chimelis’ notebook has Jonathan Papelbon working on his move to first base. Ballou’s notebook has more on Papelbon. Goldberg’s notebook has Ortiz using an elliptical machine to try and strengthen his knee.

Celtics

On the BSMW Full Court Press, Matt Richardson looks at Rajon Rondo’s “Floor Burn to Foul Shot Ratio” and Other Random Musings.

Steve Bulpett says that the Celtics know what they have to do to close out the Hawks in Atlanta tonight. Marc J. Spears has the Celtics needing to leave their baggage at home and focus on closing things out tonight. Kevin McNamara has the Celtics with a few questions to ask themselves heading into the game tonight. Ron Chimelis says that the Celtics may have received a big favor in getting a scare from the Hawks.

Steve Buckley writes about the Celtics avoiding the “biggest choke in Boston sports history” for the moment by winning game five. Dan Shaughnessy says that the Celtics need to stop the madness and end this series tonight in Atlanta. Scott Souza examines whether the Celtics will be up to the challenge of a road playoff game tonight. Bill Doyle has the Celtics trying to avoid a split personality and a game 7 by finishing the series tonight in Atlanta.

Mike Fine says that Sam Cassell isn’t helping the Celtics very much. He can score, sure, but he has not been able to run the offense the way that the Celtics need when Rajon Rondo is out of the game. Bulpett’s notebook has Doc Rivers hoping for a repeat performance from Paul Pierce tonight.

Patriots

Mike Reiss has Jerod Mayo getting his first look at Gillette Stadium yesterday. Karen Guregian has Mayo liking what he sees around Foxboro. Mark Farinella has the rookie linebacker already getting a sense of how the Patriots operate. Christopher Price has Mayo excited to get started with the Patriots.

Rich Garven has Mayo ready to get to work. Douglas Flynn says that it is obvious that the Patriots have a very “excited” and happy camper on their hands. Shalise Manza Young has Mayo getting a chance to talk with owner Robert Kraft and check out his new work environment. David Heuschkel has more on Mayo being introduced at Gillette.

Farinella has Ben Coates, Jon Morris and Jim Nance up for nomination into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Noting that Patriots fans will be doing the voting, Guregian talks to Coates and Morris about the honor. Young has more on the nominations and the voting which goes through July 4.

Chris Gasper’s notebook reports that Ellis Hobbs needed a second surgery to repair a sports hernia, but is expected to be ready for camp in July.

Misc

David Scott has more reaction to the HBO sports media special.

Nancy Marrapese-Burrell looks at the extended coverage of this weekend’s Kentucky Derby on NBC.

Popularity: 27% [?]

The Celtics restored order to the universe last night by spanking the upstart Hawks 110-85 at Boston Garden. The Celtics now lead the best of seven series three games to two, and will get a chance to close out the first round on Friday night in Atlanta.

Marc J. Spears has the Celtics getting back to their defensive ways last night. Mark Murphy has the Celtics getting back on track and taking control of the series once again. Kevin McNamara has the Celtics once again taking off at home and shooting down the Hawks. Scott Souza has the Celtics getting back on track with their blowout win over the Hawks last night. Tim Weisberg has the Celtics taking total control of this one, from start to finish. Bill Doyle says that after last night, it’s hard to believe that the Celtics could lose two to the Hawks as they did in games three and four. Jeff Howe has the Celtics getting off the milk carton and back onto the floor last night. Jessica Camerato had a live blog for HoopsWorld last night.

On the BSMW Full Court Press, Kevin Henkin observes that it’s almost as it those two games in Atlanta never happened.

Steve Bulpett says that the formula for last night was simple - the Celtics best players had their best games of the series. Bill Reynolds says that last night was a prime example of why teams fight so hard for home court advantage in the playoffs. Jeff Jacobs has the Celtics looking quite settled in at home. Dan Shaughnessy can’t believe that things have gotten to this point in the series, thinks that “it’s a little pathetic the Hub has to get all hysterical about beating the Hawks” and steals Gerry Callahan’s line that the Celtics “would go down as the biggest chokers in Hub history” if they lost this series. In other words, Dan is in top form this morning. Lenny Megliola has the Celtics avoiding shame with their win last night.

Peter May says that the Celtics bench was the key to the win last night, and will be key again if they hope to close out the series tomorrow night. Tony Massarotti has Leon Powe as one of those key contributors last night as the Celtics forward was a “beast” off the bench for Boston. Steve Buckley says that Paul Pierce’s signals last night were very easy to read. Robert Lee has a fired-up Pierce taking out his frustrations on the Hawks. Bill Burt has the Celtics letting their play do the talking last night. Howe has Rajon Rondo’s film study paying off.

Julian Benbow and Jennifer Toland have Al Horford proudly displaying his signed David Ortiz jersey in his locker, and looks at how the rookie center never hit a wall during the course of the long season. Massarotti has more on Horford’s new friendship with Big Papi. Benbow also has the Hawks old habits coming back to haunt them last night. Dan Ventura has Joe Johnson still talking about how the Celtics don’t have more talent than the Hawks and that his club is comfortable with their chances in this series. Bulpett has Dominique Wilkins feeling that the Celtics may have taken the Hawks lightly in this series.

May looks at how NBA coaching is not a career filled with job security, as Avery Johnson can attest to.

Buckley has Pierce’s statement that his hand gesture was “misinterpreted” as a gang sign. The Inside Track has a photo of Mayor Tom Menino making the same gesture a few years back. Lee has more on Pierce’s statement about the gesture. Jim Fenton also has Pierce’s explanation of things. Burt also weighs in on the gesture controversy, but says that Pierce deserves a pass. Why?

Pierce deserves a pass because in his 10 years in Boston, win or lose, he has never avoided the microphones and cameras.

Really? That’s why Pierce deserves a pass? Not because of his work with kids, or in the community, but because he talks to the media? I realize that that is why many athletes get a pass for a lot of things, but you don’t usually see a media member admit openly that they’ll go easier on someone simply because he makes their job easier and talks to the press.

Spears’ notebook has more on the statement from Paul Pierce regarding the hand gesture he was fined for. Murphy’s notebook has Sam Cassell getting a chance to shine last night. The Projo notebook has a look at why neither team has been able to win a road game in this series. Doyle’s notebook has more on the gesture. Fenton’s notebook takes another look at the performance of the bench last night for Boston.

Red Sox

The Red Sox once again pulled out a bottom of the ninth walk-off win at Fenway, this time with a 2-1 score. Get all the stories and coverage at RedSoxLinks.com.

Patriots

Tom Dalton reports on Patriots coach Bill Belichick’s appearance and speech at Salem State College last night.

David Heuschkel has Scott Pioli making an appearance at Central Connecticut State University yesterday.

Christopher L. Gasper has a feature on Patriots first round pick Jerod Mayo.

Karen Guregian has Charley Casserly and Gil Brandt sizing up the AFC East after the draft.

Popularity: 24% [?]

The Red Sox got back into the win column after Kevin Youkilis singled in David Ortiz from second in the bottom of the ninth off Roy Halladay to score the one and only run of the ballgame last night. Jon Lester pitched eight shutout innings, but didn’t get the win, as Jonathan Papelbon came in for the top of the ninth.

Jeff Horrigan has the Sox managing to put an end to their slide, even if the offense hasn’t returned yet. Amalie Benjamin looks at the decision to send Ortiz for the winning run, and at the performance of Lester. Jeff Goldberg looks at an old-fashioned pitching duel at Fenway last night. Paul Kenyon says that great defense in the top of the ninth and clutch hitting in the bottom of the ninth meant a win for the Red Sox. Bob Stern has the losing streak getting stopped in style with the walk-off win. Ron Chimelis has the Sox pitching trying to hold the fort until the heavy lumber awakens. Paul Jarvey notes that we saw the Jon Lester that the Red Sox have been waiting for last night. Joe Haggerty has more on the Sox shutout win at Fenway.

Bill Burt says that Jon Lester passed a huge test with his performance last night. Steve Buckley looks at the gem thrown by Lester last night exactly when the Sox needed it. Lenny Megliola looks at Lester and the Sox rescuing Boston fans from a streak of losing misery. Sean McAdam looks at Halladay, who is a throw-back pitcher, finishing what he starts on the mound. Last night was his fourth straight complete game for the Blue Jays. Jon Couture has the Sox happy that this rough stretch is over for now.

Gordon Edes writes about the ups and downs of the life of Bryan Corey, who was designated for assignment again yesterday to make room for the return of Mike Lowell. Steven Krasner examines the decision not to pinch-run for a hobbled David Ortiz in the ninth inning last night. Alex Speier says that the Sox have needed to be resilient already in this young season. Buckley looks at Jacoby Ellsbury sitting out last night with a aggravated groin. Sarah Green says that the AL East is officially bizarro land now.

It took a lot for Nick Cafardo to write his article criticizing Roger Clemens this morning, I’m sure. Cafardo says Clemens has badly mishandled things since the Mitchell Report was released and could’ve avoided a lot of the negative publicity that keeps coming.

The Globe notebook has Kevin Youkilis praising Roy Halladay. Horrigan’s notebook looks at the return of Lowell to the Red Sox lineup. Goldberg’s notebook has more on the return of Ortiz and Lowell to the Red Sox lineup. The ProJo notebook has Corey having to go into limbo again with the return of Lowell. Chimelis’ notebook also focuses on the return of Lowell. Jarvey’s notebook has the Sox dropping down to 12 pitchers with Corey’s release. Stern’s notebook has more praise for Halladay from Youkilis.

Celtics

It would appear that the honeymoon is over for the Celtics. When Dan Shaughnessy and Gerry Callahan come after you on the morning of a playoff game, you can say that the team has officially arrived on the Boston sports landscape. Callahan in particular is harsh, talking about this being “the worst collapse in Boston sports history.” Tony Massarotti also wonders if the Celtics are just a collection of front-runners, rather than true champions.

On the BSMW Full Court Press, Kevin Henkin says that the Celtics are just Another Team in Search of Its Soul.

Marc J. Spears reports that there will be no suspensions for Monday’s night activities between the two clubs. Bill Doyle also reports on that topic. Steve Bulpett says that the Celtics need to get back to what worked in the regular season. Scott Souza has the Celtics keeping cool, but almost sounding overconfident heading into tonight’s game. Tim Weisberg says that the Celtics need to show some poise the rest of the way and not get drawn into skirmishes with the Hawks.

Shira Springer feeds the obsession with the Paul Pierce gang sign.

Peter May assures us that Tony Allen is not the cure-all on guarding Joe Johnson moving forward. Mark Murphy says that the entire Celtics team needs to tighten up their defense, not just whomever is guarding Johnson or Josh Smith. Mike Szostak has the Celtics recognizing that their defense is the problem here. Mike Fine has the Celtics happy to be out of Atlanta.

Sarah Meinecke has the confident Hawks not at all surprised by their success. Jim Fenton has the Hawks handing the Celtics a major dose of adversity.

Spears’ notebook has Doc Rivers saying that his team needs more than just the home crowd to fuel them on tonight. Massarotti’s notebook has more on Garnett avoiding punishment from the league for his run-in with Zaza Pachulia. Szostak’s notebook also reports on the Celtics escaping any suspensions. Fenton’s notebook has more on the teams avoiding punishment.

Misc

Shaughnessy pays tribute to Bob Lobel, who signed off on his last Channel 4 sportscast last night.

David Scott has a few thoughts on HBO’s special edition of Costas Now, which focused on sports and the media. I hope to have something on this show when I get a chance to see more. Right now it’s on my DVR. In the short bit that I saw, I witnessed Mike Tirico say something along the lines of “The fans might just want to know about what’s happening in the game, but if we don’t explore every possible storyline and angle, we’re not being true to our journalistic callings and integrity…” That was enough for me to disgustedly turn away for the night.

Dave Heuschkel looks at entertainment value coming to Foxboro with Patriot Place.

Mark Farinella thinks that Bill Belichick might be doing some planning for the future, as well as building some insurance with the drafting of QB Kevin O’Connell.

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Doc Rivers and the Celtics have some work to do.

Atlanta evened up the first round series at two games apiece with their 97-92 win over Boston last night. Joe Johnson was absolutely unstoppable in the fourth quarter last night, scoring 20 of his 35 points in the period to bring the Hawks back from a 10 point deficit to stun the Celtics. CSN analyst Donny Marshall made a salient point last night when he noted that sometimes the first round is the toughest. It made me think of those first round battles with the old Washington Bullets back in the 1980’s.

Marc J. Spears assesses the grim situation and notes that Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins might end up getting suspended for game five tomorrow night because of their roles in a second quarter skirmish. Mark Murphy has the unthinkable on the mind of the Celtics following the game. Bill Doyle has the Celtics with reason to be concerned after last night’s loss. Jessica Camerato says that the Hawks have gotten into the heads of the Celtics. Kevin McNamara looks at Joe Johnson stealing the show from the more celebrated Celtics last night.

On the BSMW Full Court Press, Shirley Coshatt looks at the Celtics stumbling once again in Atlanta.

Steve Bulpett says that the Celtics need to get back to playing their style of basketball. Peter May looks at how the Celtics may now have their confidence shaken, while the young Hawks are soaring. Bill Burt says that the Celtics have not faced such dire straits since the ping pong balls all went the wrong way last May. May checks in with commissioner David Stern, who weighs in on the Saturday night antics between the two clubs, as well as a number of other league items. Bulpett has more on Pierce and the hand gesture for which he was fined last night. Ben Larsen tries to figure out what people think Pierce’s hand gesture meant in gang language. McNamara has more on the supposedly gang-related sign.

Ray Glier looks at the monster game from Joe Johnson. Sarah Meinecke also looks at Johnson simply taking over in the fourth quarter. Larson would like to know why Tony Allen hasn’t gotten a shot at defending Johnson yet. Meinecke also reports on Rajon Rondo coming in fourth in the NBA’s Most Improved Player voting.

Spears’ notebook has Paul Pierce being fined $25,000 for a “menacing” hand gesture on Saturday night. Murphy’s notebook has the clubs acting up again last night, right in front of the commissioner this time. Doyle’s notebook has more on the fine for Pierce. McNamara’s notebook has the momentum of this series swinging Atlanta’s way right now.

Patriots

A couple of pieces from Chris Warner on Patriots Daily, there’s one with thumbnails of the undrafted free agents signed by the Patriots yesterday, and another is a reaction to the draft after some had a hard time figuring out the Patriots plans.

Shalise Manza Young talks to the high school coach of first round pick Jerod Mayo, and has him raving about the linebacker’s character. Mike Reiss talks to a former coach of second round pick Terrence Wheatley, who similarly raves about the player. John Tomase looks at whether the rookie corners drafted by the Patriots can have an immediate impact. Glen Farley looks at late round selections Matt Slater and Bo Ruud, who may both benefit from NFL bloodlines.

Eric McHugh goes around the AFC to see which teams have improved themselves the most and thus could be a threat to the Patriots in ‘08. Young has former BC safety Jamie Silva signing with the Colts. McHugh checks in with Quincy High coach Jim Connor, whose brother Dan was drafted by the Panthers in the third round.

Red Sox

Gordon Edes looks at Manny Ramirez’s quest for his 500th career home run. Rob Bradford looks at how off-season workouts have really benefited Ramirez. Garry Brown has the Sox keeping things together during this losing streak. Lenny Megliola insists that better days are ahead for these Red Sox. Jeff Goldberg has the Sox enjoying a rare day off yesterday.

Rob Bradford examines how Jonathan Papelbon is able to get so many batters to swing and miss at his pitches. Alex Speier provides a minor league report of the Red Sox system, including a look at pitcher Nick Hagadone, who is likely facing Tommy John surgery. Michael Silverman has Dustin Pedroia starting out his sophomore season in the big leagues just like his first season finished up. Joe McDonald has Carl Crawford saying that the Red Sox should give Jacoby Ellsbury the green light on the basepaths.

Silverman’s notebook says that thus far, the 2008 pitching staff is doing a poor imitation of the 2007 edition. The Globe notebook has Jon Lester hoping to get his act together for his start tonight, and also has a look at Brandon Moss, who should be headed back to Pawtucket to make room for the return of Mike Lowell.

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The NFL draft wrapped up last evening, and the Patriots walked away seemingly having addressed a couple of of their most pressing needs: youth at the linebacker and cornerback positions. New England grabbed three linebackers and two defensive backs in the draft, along with a project quarterback and a special teams ace. Perhaps not the most sexy of hauls, but it seems they knew what they wanted and went after it.

Now that the Patriots are Off The Clock, head on over to Patriots Daily for a wrap on what the Patriots did this weekend.

You’ll read plenty of “draft grades” from media types over the next few days, but if history has taught us anything regarding the draft, it is that you cannot accurately judge how well or poor a team did for at least a year, if not more. That won’t stop the proclamation of whether a team was a winner or loser this past weekend, but it should temper reaction to such articles.

Michael Felger (remember him?) asserts that the Patriots changed tact this weekend and drafted for need rather than the best available player. Mike Reiss says that the slogan “younger and faster,” especially on defense, is something that the Patriots clearly had on their minds with this draft. Mark Farinella has the Patriots filling some needs (LB, CB) aggressively, while leaving others (TE, DL) out. Douglas Flynn says that this draft represents a break from tradition for the Patriots. Ian M. Clark has the Patriots taking care of business this weekend, filling holes while still looking to the future. Shalise Manza Young notes that the Patriots defense is suddenly much younger in just one weekend. David Heuschkel looks at the Patriots changing things up this weekend. I’m officially scared now. Hector Longo gives the Patriots an A+ for this draft because Bill Belichick finally changed his stubborn ways which have led to failure after failure in the draft ever has resulted in his best draft since 2000. I wish I were joking. (Note:Hector is more positive than I originally gave him credit for here.)

Karen Guregian examines Michigan linebacker Shawn Crable, drafted in the third round by the Patriots yesterday and who was raised by his foster mom growing up, someone who was very proud to see what he has accomplished thus far and is happy to see him land in New England. Farinella notes that it was a long, hard road to NFL for Crable. Robert Lee says that Crable is proof that dreams can come true.

Christopher L. Gasper and John Tomase analyze New England’s selection of San Diego State quarterback Kevin O’Connell in the third round yesterday. Farinella adds that the selection might mean its time for Matt Cassel or Matt Gutierrez to be pondering alternatives, though Tom Brady’s job is probably safe. Jennifer Toland has more on the selection of O’Connell, which raised a few eyebrows. Glen Farley has O’Connell looking forward to learning from Tom Brady. Dan Pires says that drafting O’Connell was a shocker.

Tomase also has a look at fifth round pick Matthew Slater - a special teams ace from UCLA, and son of Hall of Famer Jackie Slater. Farinella says that the Patriots are a prime destination that many college players hope to go to, including Slater and Crable. Lee says that the Patriots chose to focus on team needs in the later rounds rather than going for the best available players. Ron Chimelis wants to know why the Patriots didn’t’ draft a kicker, since Bill Belichick obviously has no faith in Stephen Gostkowski. Christopher Price says that this weekend’s draft is not a change from the Patriots usual team building approach. Pires also says that Junior Seau wants to come back, and that the Patriots are interested.

Allen Lessels has UNH quarterback Ricky Santos heading to Kansas City as an undrafted free agent. Jim Donaldson has East Providence’s Matt Sherry getting drafted by the Bengals.

The extensive Globe notebook has more on Slater, Crable and other draft notes. Guregian’s notebook looks at the Patriots finally having some young linebackers to work with. Young’s notebook says that O’Connell could push Matt Cassel out the door. Flynn’s notebook has the Patriots last two picks coming from NFL rootstock. Rich Garven’s notebook looks at the unique special teams talents of Slater. Pires’ notebook has the Patriots continuing their defensive push in day two.

Celtics

The Celtics suddenly find themselves in a series after a high spirited effort from the Hawks on Saturday night overwhelmed the Celtics and put Atlanta in a situation to even the best of seven series with a win tonight. (Butch, is that you?)

Marc J. Spears has the Celtics going through their longest film session of the season yesterday, going over Saturday night’s game in excruciating detail. Steve Bulpett has the Celtic realizing they need to regain their defensive mentality for tonight. Bill Doyle has the Celtics looking past comments from Joe Johnson, who says that they quit in the fourth quarter Saturday night. Tim Weisberg says that the Celtics need to regain their sharing mindset. Kevin McNamara has the Celtics taking a long look at themselves yesterday.

Bulpett also looks at Doc Rivers apparently changing up his substitution pattern on Saturday night, as Leon Powe is apparently out of the rotation for now. Over in the Metro, it’s noted that it is now Celtics time to get their turn in the media spotlight. Peter May has Al Horford and the Hawks finding their voice in game three, and using it at every opportunity. Mark Murphy says that the rookie big men on both sides of this series are already playoff tested.

Spears’ notebook has the Hawks continuing to brashly trash-talk the Celtics. Murphy’s notebook has the Celtics knowing exactly where they need to improve for tonight. McNamara’s notebook has the Hawks still patting themselves on the back for their performance on Saturday.

Red Sox

Don’t look now, but the Red Sox have lost five games in a row, and are coming off a weekend sweep at the hands of the Rays.

Gordon Edes has James Shields shutting out the Red Sox and ruining a terrific performance from Josh Beckett yesterday. Michael Silverman has Tampa rubbing it in to the Red Sox and Boston following the game. Joe McDonald has more on the suddenly punchless Sox dropping another in Tampa. Jeff Goldberg has the Sox looking like a tired team at the plate. Bill Ballou has the Sox as a dead team right now.

Amalie Benjamin notes that this has been a dizzying week in more ways than one for the Sox. Rob Bradford says that there are a number of things that the Sox need to start figuring out. Bradford looks at Manny Ramirez getting his first stolen base in three years yesterday.

Edes’ notebook has David Ortiz sitting out again yesterday, and likely looking forward to the end of April. Silverman’s notebook has the Sox getting their first off-day in 21 days today. McDonald’s notebook has Beckett fuming about the Sox having to play 20 days without an off day. Goldberg’s notebook has more on Manny’s steal. Ballou’s notebook has the Sox off-day coming at the right time.

David Scott looks at a tough Sunday for the Globe sports section.

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