Mike Lowell on Manny

Although the Red Sox have yet to come to contract terms with outfielder J.D. Drew, who is slated to play right field this season, Mike Lowell was asked if he was surprised the Sox have not traded Manny Ramírez.
"Not really," said the third baseman, who was in town last night to receive an award at the annual Boston Baseball Writers dinner, "because if you're going to trade him, you've got to get something for him. Those numbers he puts up are too ridiculous.
"Manny in itself, we blow it out to be this saga. He's actually a guy who's very friendly with us and kind of stays to himself. It's not like he's a nuisance in the clubhouse, by any means.
"But we want him to play all year and be behind David [Ortiz] all year. I think when he's not in the lineup, it not only affected him but it affects David. David walked a ton when Manny wasn't in there. Manny, to me honestly, he's the best hitter I've ever seen."
Ramírez played in only 10 of the team's last 38 games last season, batting just .160 (4 for 25). The four hits represent half the total he had in an August weekend series against the Yankees in which he went 8 for 11 before coming out of the finale with what was called patellar tendinitis in his right knee.
Ortiz, who in that same span was sidelined more than a week with a heart scare, averaged more than a walk per game (32 in 29 games) after Ramírez went down. Before then, Ortiz had walked 87 times in 122 games.
Ramírez was named an All-Star for the 10th time last season and finished first in the American League in on-base percentage (.439) and fourth in slugging (.619). Neither Ramírez nor his agents have publicly weighed in on how he feels about coming back in 2007. And what if he is not inclined to play for the Sox ?
"I'm glad it's not my call," Lowell said. "I know it's been compared to other years, and I don't know how it was other years, but this past year if he says he's hurt, I've got to believe him, you know what I mean?
"That's a fine line, when you're questioning whether someone is hurt or not. If he says he's hurt, you've got to take his word for it. If you see him doing squats or running on the treadmill, that's another story."
That's precisely what confounded club officials and teammates last season, seeing Ramírez work out on the treadmill with no evident discomfort.
"I heard that but I never saw that," Lowell said. "If I did, I think I'd say something because I think that's something not too many players would take."
Asked if he thought the veterans might speak with Ramírez about any issues this spring, and about how much he's needed, Lowell said: "He knows how much he's needed. I think he likes to feel needed. You can't treat every player the same way. There are a lot of different personalities and his personality is very different.
"I think it is the responsibility of players if you think something is wrong to say it. I'd like to believe if I'm hurt and feel I can't play, no one is going to question whether I can play.
"I saw him in the trainer's room after every game, getting treatment, and waking up at the hotel getting massages in the morning. That's not the process of preparation for a guy who feels totally good and just doesn't want to play. So take it for what it's worth."

Clay Buchholz on Road to the Bigs

Everyone in the Red Sox organization is anticipating the rise of 22-year-old righthander Clay Buchholz. Buchholz, a lanky 6 feet 3 inches, 190 pounds, was a combined 11-4 with a 2.42 ERA with 140 strikeouts and 33 walks in 119 innings at Single A Greenville and Wilmington. Here are a few questions for Buchholz, who could start at Double A Portland.

Noam Chomsky is probably the most caustic critic of our sports culture.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor has written on the role of sports, "I suppose that's also one of the basic functions it serves society in general: It occupies the populations, and it keeps them from trying to get involved with things that really matter.
"In fact, I presume that's part of the reason why spectator sports are supported to the degree they are by the dominant institutions," Chomsky wrote.
Chomsky's observation may be accurate as far as it goes. Americans seem to be more concerned about who will win the Super Bowl than who will win the next presidential election.
But in light of our current circumstance here in this flood-ravaged city, Chomsky's analysis seems limited.
Believing in Bush
The things that really matter in our city -- the issues of crime, rebuilding and return -- are so much with us that we can't ignore them.
Even victories by the Saints and LSU won't stem the rage at callous insurance companies and detached political leaders.
But the Saints playoff victory Saturday was probably the single most healing event since Carnival 2006.
What other event could have had a similar impact?
We've had religious services aimed at such healing, but sports binds folks of different denominations and faiths in ways that most priests, imams and rabbis are unable to do.
Not even our music and food, those most emblematic portions of our culture, bring us together in this way.
The bumper stickers welcoming Reggie Bush demonstrate the point brilliantly.
"Finally a Bush we can all agree on," the stickers say in a subtle reference to the fact that the nation is still divided over the Bush occupying the White House.
But we can gather around the coffee pot or the water fountain at work today and find common ground that has no relationship to our political or religious views.
The dream's alive
The Saints are not the champions of the National Football Conference, yet.
They are one win from the Super Bowl. But in the near term, that doesn't matter.
Our city can be fueled by Super Bowl dreams. And given how far we've come this year, even a loss wouldn't be fatal to our spirit.
We've survived on Super Bowl dreams for generations. Regardless of what happens in the next few weeks, these are the most substantive Saints dreams we've ever had.
Some people dream in color. Others in black and white.
We dream in black and gold.

Kyle Snyder Signed to 1 Year Contract

The Red Sox have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with pitcher Kyle Snyder, General Manager Theo Epstein announced Saturday. No further terms of the contract were disclosed.
The 29-year-old Snyder went 4-5 in 16 games (10 starts) for the Red Sox in 2006. Boston claimed the righthander on waivers on June 16. Snyder was 0-0 with a 22.50 ERA in one start for the Kansas City Royals and 0-4 with a 3.88 ERA for Triple-A Omaha before coming over to the Red Sox.
The Red Sox also announced today the signing of free agent outfielder Alex Ochoa to a contract with Triple-A Pawtucket. Ochoa, 34, spent the last four seasons with Japan’s Chunichi Dragons. He hit .273 with 15 home runs and 77 RBIs in 138 games for Chunichi last season. Ochoa played eight seasons in the major leagues, batting .279 with 46 home runs and 261 RBIs in 807 games with the Mets, Twins, Brewers, Red, Rockies, and Angels from 1995 to 2002.

Inside Play helps Ole Miss beat Arkansas

OXFORD — They had been pushed around, boxed out and dominated by Ole Miss' last three opponents.
They missed open layups on the offensive end, gave up easier buckets on defense and faced the fact they had become the obvious weakness of a struggling team. So when the Rebels undersized and outmanned frontcourt prepared to play Arkansas on Saturday, it had one thing in mind: It had to change - immediately.
The group accomplished its mission against the bigger, taller Razorbacks, leading the Rebels to a nail-biting, 74-72 win in front of 7,292 in Tad Smith Coliseum.
Led by Dwayne Curtis' 20 points and 12 rebounds, the Rebels (12-5, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) got key contributions on both ends of the floor from each post player to snap a three-game losing streak.
"They did everything that post players were supposed to do and they did it well," guard Bam Doyne said. "It just led to other great things. Shots, steals and easy buckets.
"Everything that comes with having great post players."
It also helped Ole Miss claim its second SEC win in the past 16 games. The only other win during that stretch was also against Arkansas (12-5, 1-2) which has lost 10 of its past 11 games in Oxford.
"It's for our guys, for our psyche," coach Andy Kennedy said. "I've got a fragile group. I could see a relief come over them because now they know. Arkansas is as good as anybody in our league. They've proven that to this point.
"(Saturday's) effort, despite our inefficiency at times, showed what we're capable of doing."
The biggest improvement came from the frontcourt, which turned in its worst performance at Mississippi State on Wednesday. But Curtis said the long bus ride from Starkville - which was filled with film study that replayed the deficiencies - served as motivation for the group to change Saturday.
It was obvious from the start, when Curtis, Kenny Williams (10 points, 7 rebounds) and Jermey Parnell (4 points, 4 rebounds) set the tone by totaling 26 points and 12 rebounds to help Ole Miss open a 38-30 halftime lead. Much like the past three games, it didn't last.
After Ole Miss built its lead to 63-49, Arkansas responded with a 16-2 run to tie the game at 65-65 with 4:07 remaining.
The Hogs took the lead when forward Charles Thomas - the former Callaway star who scored a game-high 23 points - knocked down a 3-pointer to make it 72-71 with 31 seconds left.
"We knew they were going to bring the fight to us," Williams said. "That's our main problem this year, being mentally strong. When adversity shows up, keep playing.
"We know they're going to make runs, but we've got to, too."
It wasn't a run, but Ole Miss scored the final three points. Curtis was fouled by Arkansas guard Gary Ervin and made both free throws to make it 73-72.
MSU transfer Ervin then drove and was stripped by Williams underneath the bucket with 11 seconds left. After Clarence Sanders made one free throw, Ervin missed another field goal attempt with Williams in his face.
But Ervin tied up Curtis to give Arkansas another chance with less than one second left. An attempted lob was tipped away by Williams, leading to a celebration at midcourt.
"We knew it was going to be a very big challenge," Kennedy said. "Although, certainly it was a little nerve-wracking for me at the end, we found a way to win and hopefully that will do wonders for the confidence of this group."
Especially for Ole Miss' frontcourt, which buried a frustrating three-game stretch Saturday.
"It's a release," Williams said. "I was bleeding from this whole left side from these three losses we had. ... So now, this wound is kind of patched up."

LSU Beats Auburn on at P-MAC

Coach John Brady's LSU basketball team extended its 17-game SEC home winning streak to 18 games with a hard earned 65-63 win over Auburn. Auburn took a 7-0 lead in the game, but LSU fought back and took a 17-16 lead with 13:00 to play in the first half. After taking a one-point lead, LSU went over six minutes without scoring and trailed 22-17 with 7:14 to play in the half. Auburn held a 30-19 lead with under four minutes to play in the half, but LSU cut the lead to 32-28 on two three-point shots and one free throw. LSU came out fired up to start the second half and tied the game at 36-36 with 17:31 remaining. The lead changed three times and there were four ties during the next 10 minutes of the game with LSU leading 49-47 with 7:26 to play. LSU led by as many as five points four times in the second half, but Auburn kept fighting back and trailed by only two points, 61-59, with 1:43 to play in the game. That was as close as the Auburn Tigers would get. LSU played hard the entire game, but turnovers and bad shot selections kept Auburn in the game. John Brady is going to have to get more production from the point guard position and from Darnell Lazare and Magnum Rolle if the Tigers are going to make a return trip to the NCAA tournament. LSU was led in scoring by Terry Martin with 23 points hitting on eight of 16 shots. Tasmin Mitchell, who sat out most of the first half with three fouls, scored 12 points. Glen Davis did not play one of his better games on offense but scored 11 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. With the win, LSU's season record improved to 12-4, 1-1 in the SEC. LSU's next game will be Wednesday night, January 17, against Ole Miss at LSU.

Ried Punted

By Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer:Andy Reid punted.
With his Eagles' fifth NFC championship game appearance in six years on the line, the head coach chose not to go for a first down on fourth and 15 with less than two minutes on the clock last night.
Even though, once upon a time, the Eagles won a playoff game by converting on fourth and 26.
Even though, on the previous play, Hank Baskett caught a pass that would have been good for a first down. That catch was negated by a false-start penalty on the Eagles, setting up the fourth-and-10 situation.
Even though the Eagles' defense had been completely unable to stop the New Orleans Saints' offense throughout a wild divisional playoff game at the Superdome.
Reid punted and so the Saints will play in their first NFC championship game next Sunday. They continued their feel-good run under first-year head coach Sean Payton by beating the Eagles, 27-24, exactly the same score as the Saints' regular-season victory here in October.
It was a thrilling, entertaining game from start to finish, a contest played at a pitch every bit as high as the stakes. The game deserved Reid's best gamble on fourth and 15, not a white flag.
The Saints gladly took the punt and ran out the clock.
"In hindsight, I guess maybe we should have [gone for it]," Reid said, "because we didn't get the ball back. I thought we would be able to get the ball back."
"You can't put the coach in that situation, where it's fourth and 16 or whatever the yardage was," center Jamaal Jackson said. "That's an impossible position."
The Eagles only had that last chance because the Saints made their lone error of the night. They were driving toward another score and, just as important, running time off the clock, when quarterback Drew Brees' pitch went over running back Reggie Bush's head. Darren Howard, a former Saint, recovered.
This was the miracle moment. This was the chance to steal a victory. Reid banked on getting another one, and he didn't. Given the wild nature of the game, the big plays and the heroics, fourth and 15 was the best the Eagles could do.
Inside the Superdome, you could follow the action with your eyes closed. The record crowd of 70,001 rocked the building with waves of thunderous noise when the Saints were on the march. When the Eagles scored, the crowd went so silent you could almost hear live jazz from the French Quarter.
The Eagles scored on the longest run, the longest pass and the highest leap in team playoff history. During the third quarter, the Saints broke their team record for total yards in a postseason game - a record they set against the Reggie White-led Eagles in 1993.
Every time the game seemed to settle into a pattern, something happened to amaze and confound.
When it looked as if Jeff Garcia just didn't have it, he suddenly chucked a ball with all his might. It settled into the arms of wide receiver Donté Stallworth, who had gotten beyond the defense. Stallworth, traded from the Saints to the Eagles last summer, turned it into a 75-yard touchdown. He punctuated it by finding a group of fans in Stallworth's No. 18 jerseys and tossing them the football.
When it looked as if the Eagles' running game just wasn't working - they had a total of 12 yards on the ground in the first half - Brian Westbrook exploded off right tackle and kept right on going for a 62-yard touchdown. He carried the ball and Saints defensive back Josh Bullocks the final 5 yards.
It wasn't even Westbrook's most exciting run of the game. He needed about a foot to score the Eagles' second touchdown of the game. He got it by vaulting clear over his offensive line and a pair of Saints linebackers, landing 3 yards beyond the goal line.
Payton, meanwhile, deployed his array of skill players brilliantly. Even without injured veteran wide receiver Joe Horn, the Saints' offense is an embarrassment of riches.
The Eagles simply couldn't stop powerful running back Deuce McAllister. He broke long runs, running over some Eagles and dragging others. Like Westbrook, though, his most impressive run was short. McAllister scored from the 5-yard line, driving the entire pack the full distance. It may have been the slowest 5 yards ever gained.
When the Eagles did seem to stop lightning-fast Reggie Bush, he would suddenly pop out, cut to the other side of the field and disappear. Bush wiggled out of trouble for a 25-yard run in the first half. He scored the Saints' first touchdown by tearing himself loose from the Eagles' defense and sprinting around the right side.
The game was filled with big plays and great play calling.
Until the very end.
The Eagles had handled the Superdome noise superbly all game. They were not called for a single false-start penalty until the game's most important offensive play. And then it was called on guard Scott Young, who was playing only because Pro Bowl starter Shawn Andrews had injured his neck.
The mistake by a young player was forgivable. The decision by an experienced coach was something else.