Yo' momma's so...

Mike:
Leave it to David Ortiz to ensure there is no sweep at the hands of the D-Rays.

 

---

Steve:
Papi is more and more like Atlas from Greek Mythology carrying the entire weight of Red Sox Nation on his shoulders.

 

---

Mike:
Absolutely. The guy is a Titan in every sense of the word.

 

---

Steve:
Meanwhile, Dave Pinto continues his obsession with Manny's knee.

 

---

Mike:
C'mon, Dave, if you've got extra time on your hands can't you live blog curling or something instead of going all Magnum P.I.I on the Man Man?

 

---

Steve:
Seriously. I mean nobody cares about the All Star game anyway. It's about as authentic as Paris Hilton's singing career.

 

---

Mike:
Besides, everyone should be happy that Manny at least thought this excuse out big time. I mean he's been working this knee angle for weeks. It's an iron clad alibi.

 

---

Steve:
Frankly, though, I miss the last minute "my grannie's sick" style excuses he's used in the past.

 

---

Mike:
Yeah, it was getting to the point where you half expected him to come up with something like "I can't go to the All Stah Game because the dog ate my plane ticket."

 

---

Steve:
Hey did you see this Edes article on the behind the scenes nastiness at Yawkey way? Who knew Manny had this "you're all a bunch of [expletive] white devils" invective in him.

 

---

Mike:
Really. But, you know, as far as insults go, calling someone a "white devil" is pretty lame.

 

---

Steve:
I'm not even sure it's an insult. I mean some of my best friends are white devils.

 

---

Mike:
Are you kidding me? In high school I was voted most likely to become a white devil.

 

---

Steve:
In any case, why do I get the feeling that if you were playing the dozens with Manny, you could totally flumox him with the 1st grade classic rejoinder "I know you are but what am I?"

 

---

Comments

[Satan]

The Chinese term is "Gwai lo", mofo's.

Plus, I got Ken Lay right here, so you can eat me.

Prince of Darkness, MFY Fan for 10,027 years.

[IkeG]

Here's my entry for "Most Anal Comment of the Day":

First panel: --- Leave it to David Ortiz to insure there is no sweep at the hands of the D-Rays.--- Wouldn't it be "ensure" rather than "insure"? Anyone?

'Nuff of that. I missed most of the game but was very relieved to turn on the car and see "BOS12 TB5 Mid 9th" on my XM display. The last I had been able to look it was 6-4 and Wakefield was lifted for Mmmmbop Hansen. His line didn't look all that good (2BB, 1R), but line scores can lie. How did Hansen throw?

Big big big big test for the rook. On the South Side, against Buerhle. Death or glory? It's just another story.

[h.b.]

Yes, "ensure" it is. Thanks.

[h.b.]

Upon further review ensure and insure are synomous according to dictionary.com.

[Bob]

Yes, but thesaurus.reference.com says insure means to "protect," while ensure means to "guarantee."

Therefore, I'd go with ensure.

[Dave S.]

Yup. "Insure" and "ensure" have become synonymous in much the same way that "regardless" and "irregardless" have: through usage. The one that fucking kills me is "impactful". I cringe whenever I hear one of our marketers use it. Which, sadly, is all too often.

I ask out of curiosity....would anyone characterize Ortiz's ninth inning homer last night as being clutch?

[Bob]

Well, the game had tightened considerable and was still in doubt. Which is certainly not clutch by Papi's standards. But 9th inning/7th game of the WS clutch by a certain Blue Lip standard.

BTW, Jack the bartender at Pete's Pub must be flogged. He actually looked up at the TV last night and said for all to hear, "Hey, Wake's pitching a no hitter."

Next batter he faced knocked it out of the park. Thanks, Jack. (He's from Chicago, what do you expect?)

[Rooster]

Ike,

I did not see the game, but the Hanson line looks worse than it sounds. His first inning was strike out, ground out, walk, fly out. His second inning was walk, stike out, stolen base, ground out. Then, Francona pulled him to bring in Lopez, the "lefty specialist" who promtly gave up a single to Huff, bringing in the runner from 2nd, which was charged as an earned run to Hanson. So, to me his line looks very good!

[vasoxfan]

No, not clutch , it just _guaranteed_ it in _protective_ kind of way:) Anyways thank a God I don't have to contemplate the ramifications of a Rays sweep on the Red Sox nor listen to RSN's angst about it. Droppin 3 out of 4 is bad enough.

[Bob]

BTW, anyone want to join me in a Taylor Hicks murder plot?

If that frigging car commercial runs one more time, I'm going to put a plan into action.

[Rooster]

Dave,

The one problem is that irregardless is not an official word. It is non-standard and bad form. I used it one day recently and got corrected by a co-worker that it is not a word, and after looking it up, was surprised to find that it was true.

[Bob]

So when J.J. takes the mound, is he flammable or inflammable?

[Natalie]

Irregardless is not a word, even if places like dictionary.com have been browbeaten into including it because so many (insert pejorative here) people use it. Usage of it drives me up the wall!

Bob- I will be the first to join that murder plot. Seriously, I have to change the station every time that commercial comes on. Where shall we hold the first meeting? I refuse to DVR baseball in order to skip the ads so he is ruining my enjoyment of the games. Death is too good for him! :)

[Dave S.]

I looked it up on Merriam-Webster just to make sure. I'm not saying I like it, as it's an obvious and silly double-negative. Nonetheless, here's what they have to say about it:

Main Entry: ir·re·gard·less
Pronunciation: "ir-i-'gärd-l&s
Function: adverb
Etymology: probably blend of irrespective and regardless
nonstandard : REGARDLESS
usage Irregardless originated in dialectal American speech in the early 20th century. Its fairly widespread use in speech called it to the attention of usage commentators as early as 1927. The most frequently repeated remark about it is that "there is no such word." There is such a word, however. It is still used primarily in speech, although it can be found from time to time in edited prose. Its reputation has not risen over the years, and it is still a long way from general acceptance. Use regardless instead.

[Black Coffee In Bed]

I'll bet Taylor Hicks uses "irregardless" regularly, that [expletive] white devil...

[Dave S.]

...the whole thing about language is that it isn't as static as we'd like it to be. New words are formed and old words bastardized constantly. Unmolested by technology, it happens pretty quickly, too. Latin became Spanish, French and Italian in a few centuries. English is Germanic in form, but heavily influenced by the Romance languages in etymology and definition.

Acceptance of new, promulent words embiggens all of us!

[EyeIsMe]

I want to thank everyone here for keeping a long displaced Sox fan on the up and up. The 'holix and the people who post here all the time really make me feel like I'm back home. I hope that that feeling lasts when I move to London later this year.

Thanks again.

[Natalie]

I hear ya, Dave S, but regardless, I still consider it not a real word... Of course, I have issues because the "12 items or less" aisles in the supermarket make me foam at the mouth and I am probably the only person who refuses to pronounce "forte" for-tay. :)

[Jason O.]

The general sentiment of this comment thread is correct: Because a phrase is commonly used does not de facto guarantee that it is proper english.

For example: Postmodern english types have tried with all their might to delete the standard pronoun "he" with "he/she" or some other "non sexist" identity politics derivative, and to a certain extent they have succeeded...that does not mean that "he/she" is correct.

Bravo to the dictionary that Dave cited in its concession that the word is used, but that it is also incorrect usage.

White Devils...hmmm...obviously Ramirez is sending signals to Ozzie Guillen that he wants to be traded to the White Sox!

[h.b.]

Yeah, I have my own pet peeves with language usage, especially the weirdness with apostrophe use in signage, but, overall, I really love how our language is so malleable.

[Jason O.]

Pardon me if this has been discussed previously, but has anyone noticed the sad hypocrisy of Ozzie Guillen's public flogging at the hands of the thought police for his exercise of free speech while Brett Myers "smacks his bitch up" in public and pitches the next day?

Let me be clear: 97% of what Guillen says is some stupid shit, but when the usual suspects try to make Guillen into Emmanuel Goldstein, I have a natural urge to defend him.

[Dave S.]

I appreciate Guillen's explanation, and in the spirit today's discussion of language also appreciate that "gay" and "faggot" have in many usages moved past being a derogatory reference to homosexuals; I personally tend to blanche at most "faggot" references. So I agree in general that Guillen's remarks have been way blown out of proportion.

That said, how would you feel if the reporter was in fact a homosexual? Or, say he was black, and Guillen had called him a nigger?

Furthermore, if the White Sox want to censure one of its employees for comments they deem inappropriate while said employee is representing the organization, it's perfectly fair.

[Cape Codder]

Taylor Hicks' commercial is bad, but I absolutely can't stand the ad for Foxwoods, with the Wizzard of Oz plot. I'll take Marty's RV instead.

[David Pinto]

So you leave out my whole reference to Ortiz passing Maris for the AL home run record? I'm going to find a checkers match to live blog just to annoy you. :-)

As always, thanks for the link.

[Bob]

Cape Codder; At Pete's, we call that Foxwood's commercial "The Hobos of Oz."

Where'd they dig up the wardrobe for the cast, the Pine Street Inn?

[harwich rich]

The Noah shelter

[Kaz]

You have to admit though, Mariotti *is* a "piece of shit" (the *other* comment that Ozzie made which gets a green card since he also called him a "fucking fag"...the most unholy of public comment sins).

[Follower of Tito]

Did anyone else see the Merian-Webster just released their new additions to the dictionary. Evidently, "google" (verb), "drama queen" (noun), and my personal favorite: "unibrow" (noun). Nice to see words my teenage daughters use have made it into standard English.

Does anyone know Manny's middle initial? X...perhaps?

[Cape Codder]

FoT: I think it is Manuel Aristides Ramirez. But wouldn't bet my life on it.

[tessie]

"I ask out of curiosity....would anyone characterize Ortiz's ninth inning homer last night as being clutch?"

No clutch but definitely impactful!

I know the commercials get old but you know there are a few of us out here who would love to get games on NESN and suffer through those terrible things.

Speaking of which, does anyone have the Foxwoods commercial from last season, you know the one with the little people?

[tessie]

You're right about that middle name, Cape Codder. http://www.mannyramirez.com/about.htm

[NewtonNephew]

h.b. - I am surprised, given the mention of the Edes article, that the characters did not comment on the fact that there is now evidence of the CHB going beyond his usual exploitation/torment of Sox fans for fun and profit, and actually causing concrete harm to the Red Sox organization with his mischief. Mnookin reports that it was Shaughnasty's inflammatory column that precipitated Theo's resignation. Or was this so obvious to everyone at the time (despite the denials of all concerned) that it's old hat?

[h.b.]

Two points:

1) characters can only discuss so much and has to be something I can try to get a chuckle out of

2) Considering that a) Red Sox are partially owned by the Globe (by way of the NY Times) b) The Red Sox themselves commissioned this book c) there's been a general lack of veracity from the MSM in the past couple of years (and in particular the NY Times most recently), I'm not really sure what to believe in this Mnookin book.

[Jason O.]

Dave: Of course the WS, like any private firm, can discipline an employee for his actions. What Kenny Williams did was not discipline, however: It was a vague statement meant to assuage the furor of the media barracudas that swarm whenever an incorrect thought is expressed.

Should there be more media attention over:

Serious domestic violence accompanied by the fucking Philly GM's amazing statement that "he's not sure if it's an embarrassment to the team," or:

The public use of a word that offends people?

[Jason O.]

BTW Dave, I was on a college football team of which the majority of the roster was black and one thing I learned during that 4 years is if Guillen had called a black reporter a "ni**a," in any context, no one would have said fucking shit about it...

[Bob]

Tessie, here's that Foxwoods leprechaun commercial:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA6qGqbgRZc&search=foxwoods

[kevin]

Ignorance is not linguistic drift. If you say "irregardless" in my presence, and try to argue that it is okay to use, I will shoot you.

"Insure" and "ensure" are not synonyms any more than "there", "their", and "they're" are.

Also, don't say "begs the question" unless you are absolutely sure of what it means. And chances are, you aren't.

Whew, okay. Rant over.

[h.b.]

Kevin,

As I've said before, don't mistake a typo such as using "their" instead of "they're" or "your" instead of "you're" or any of the rest for ingnorance on the part of the writer, be it me or your Aunt Hazel.

A typo is a typo. Making a big deal out of it and coming across with the ignorance charge just makes you look like a big time asswipe.

Of course, maybe that's what you're after. :) If so, carry on...

[Bob]

H.B., do you think Kevin is going to beg the question?

[h.b.]

Bob -- Now that was funny. Nice way to cap off a Friday afternoon. Thanks.

Just noticed, too, that I had a typo in "ingnorance." How perfectly fitting and demonstrative per the issue.

[louclinton]

More importantly,irregardless of the playas back in the day, ma man Manny is out of the All Star Game like a bum on crack.

[Kaz]

All of the homemade linguists in here should really read up on the difference between prescription and description.

[Bob]

Well, I've got a fever. And the only prescription is more Red Sox wins. That, and more cowbell.

[Dave S.]

First of all, I definitely think that Mariotti is an asshole. Few are the sports writers that I either respect or enjoy reading, and like I said, Guillen explained his words in what I thought was a satisfactory manner.

I also totally agree that the whirlwind surrounding Guillen in comparison to the non-treatement of the Myers story is absurd. By far, the latter story is more relevant as it pertains to, you know, lawbreaking.

Lastly, I wasn't really talking about the team's response to Guillen's comments, although considering the way the race card is thrown around in MLB (Bonds, Bradley, Everett), I'm skeptical that "nigger" used in a derogatory fashion by a non-black person would have gone over particularly well even in your locker room...I'm not talking a "nigga" between black people: I'm talking about a white guy calling a black guy a "fucking nigger" as if the blackness was part of his problem. Imagine your football coach walking up to one of your teammates and saying: "Goddamn it, you lazy fucking nigger! Play harder!" That wouldn't bat an eyelash? For real? And anyway, Jason, it's about the kids, isn't it? I mean, think of the children. Won't you just please think about the children?

Sorry for this sidebar rant, HB et al.