Check out Technical Foul!

Hey everyone - sorry I've been so inconsistent in this space lately! Rest assured, I'm just as excited for Truck Day, Pitchers and Catchers, and first Spring Training workouts as ever.

But I've also been hard at work producing the very first episode of a new sports comedy web series called Technical Foul. We debut this weekend, but there are already a few teaser videos up now on our YouTube channel.

Basically it will be a show about professional and college sports - and as the production team is made up of current Syracuse University graduate students, it's focused on #1 ranked SU basketball at the moment.

The foundation of the show is a roundtable discussion about contemporary sports topics - with preference given to the quirky or unusual - interspersed with offbeat segments and interviews featuring current SU athletes.

Sorry for the shameless self promotion, but it would be awesome if you guys would follow Technical Foul on Twitter or Tumblr, or like us on Facebook. And of course, check out our videos on YouTube - right now it's just teasers, but the full show will be up Saturday!

ALDS Game 2 Hopes for John Lackey and Co.

[Photo source]

Today is the first ACC football game here at Syracuse University, so of course I'll be there. However, kickoff is at 3:30pm, and Game 2 of the Red Sox/Rays ALDS starts at 5:37pm, so I'll probably leave at halftime to get home in time for my real love in life: baseball.

Yesterday's game was glorious. I won't rehash all of my reactions here (if you want them, check out the premier episode of my new podcast), but I will say that my favorite part of Game 1 was the team-first nature of the victory.

Sure, my favorite player is Dustin Pedroia; anyone who's spent two minutes with me or on this blog could tell you that. Yes, it was awesome that Pedey had the first hit in the Red Sox rally.

But the most incredible thing about yesterday was the most incredible thing about this team: it was truly a collaborative effort. Every Red Sox batter had at least one hit and one run scored. No Red Sox batter had a home run, and all that incredible production was the result of guys getting on base and trusting their compatriots to drive them in.

Jon Lester had an incredible start, and Junichi Tazawa and Ryan Dempster finished the game with barely a hiccup. Fenway aficionado John Lackey takes the mound tonight. The last time Lackey pitched in an ALDS, he took home the win - for the Angels, against Lester in 2009.

Once upon a time, before Tommy John surgery, before the chicken and beer debacle, John Lackey was lauded as a big-game pitcher. The Angels handed him the ball in their biggest moments, and he didn't let them down.

After a tough first few years in Boston, and the beginnings of redemption this season, John Lackey will climb the mound tonight looking to be that big-game guy once again. Earlier this season, I predicted a John Lackey resurgence... hopefully he'll continue to provide evidence for that point of view tonight.

And hopefully his teammates can duplicate some of the offensive fireworks from yesterday against Rays ace David Price. I have a good feeling about tonight.