Mark_Ockerbloom's Blog

Tom Petty was great, but I really didn't enjoy the half-time show because of an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.  A 7-3 lead at the half, and the Giants defense playing well had me nervous.

I thought I was in Yankee Stadium in 2003 when Aaron Bleepin' Boone hit that home run to end the Sox's playoff hopes.  The sound of "New York, New York", the fans yelling about a come-from-behind win against Boston.  I guess we can now start saying Eli Bleepin' Manning.

But give the kid credit - from the shadow of his legendary father and brother he came through.... looking a lot like a young Tom Brady back in a 2002 New Orleans Super Bowl.

A great run for the Patriots, but like most things in life, things are seldom perfect.

Talk about fortunate, this is my fifth trip to the Super Bowl! I don’t want to jinx anything but my teams are 4-0 in the Big Game. Some memories include 1996 Super Bowl 30 when Dallas beat Pittsburgh. MVP Larry Brown had two picks in the game, signed a big deal with the Raiders after that and was never heard from again. 2002 Super Bowl 36: New England stuns St. Louis in New Orleans for their first title. Vinatieri’s kick and the realization that the Pats really were Super Bowl champs were simply surreal. 2004: Super Bowl 38: Pats beat Carolina in Houston, another 3 point win and talk of a dynasty in a making first gets floated by the press. 2005 Super Bowl 39 Brady and company hold off Philly by 3 in Jacksonville. The dynasty title is finally earned.

Here’s hoping they only add to their tradition of success this Sunday.

Feelings of elation mixed with a touch of sadness. It's the same reaction I had when the Sox won it all in 2004. As a lifelong Sox fan, I'm thrilled Boston's boys of summer are once again on top of the baseball world, but I'm also a little bummed that a lot of die-hard Sox fans, including some late family members, aren't here to enjoy it again with all of us. My late brother Carl was a huge Sox fan who passed away in 2004, a month before the Sox won their first title. And both sets of grandparents were also big fans who passed on several years before the curse was finally broken. One of my grandmothers rarely missed a game and worshiped Yaz.

Oh the stories we'll be able to tell them when we get to heaven...the comebacks in the ALCS in '04 and '07 followed by the sweeps in the series, the rolling rallies, Pap's river dance. Baseball's on gravestones are a nice touch and I've seen plenty of them, I just wish the Sox fans who struggled all those years and never saw a title, could have experienced this feeling at least once which is why I'm so thankful that I’ve been able to experience it twice!

Finally, a laugher for the Sox in game 6 (thanks JD), so what's your prediction for the 7th and deciding game? True, we're rolling the Dice but I see Matsuzaka going 5 innings and then it's in the hands of the bullpen. Boy, would I love to see another breakout performance from the offense to take some of the pressure off...but if we have to settle for a nip and tuck affair to get the win so be it. But I gotta tell ya, I see a lot of similarities to '04 when the Yankees were in a funk they just couldn't snap out of.

What a huge day we have for you on Fox 25 Sunday, back to back NFL games and don't forget, immediately following the Cowboys and Vikings at 4pm is our pre-game show before the winner take all game 7. I love the Sox chances and can't wait to see how it all unfolds. How about you?

Go Sox!

Ock

Manny's blast in the third inning of game 5 rekindling the debate for adding instant replay in baseball. Tough to say whether or not it was home run. I for one think it wasn't because the ball landed back in play instead of continuing on into the stands. But with so much on the line, why not eliminate the guess work altogether by allowing the men in blue to revue the play as many times as is necessary to get it right? I'm not saying you have to do it for the regular season, though teams could make the case that it could mean the difference between making the playoffs or not. Of course, one of the biggest fears for baseball is the fact that most games are already too long and that by adding instant replay they'd only get longer. But, the off-season can be a very long time for a team, especially if you feel you've been burned by a bad call...one that could have been overturned with a second look.

Call me biased...but as a former hockey player at BC High I could not be prouder of what the Eagles have accomplished the past two years. Back to back championships, wow! Beating a tough team like Weymouth 6-1 in the final makes it all the more sweet. And all of this coming just a day after the basketball team captures a state title with of all things, a perfect record!

It's interesting how hockey's changed in eastern Mass. When I played...Matignon was the perrenial power and St John's Prep (led by Bobby Carpenter) was also a force. BC High and CM were competitive but they weren't of championship caliber. I've got to admit...saying you played at BC High back then didn't carry near the weight it does now.

You might say I'm living vicariously through these current teams...and you know what? It's hard not to...after all, we all want to be a part of something special.

Congratulations and go Eagles!

So Corey Dillon wants to move on. I say goodbye and good riddance! Granted, I'm not a teammate, but I can count on one hand the amount of times I saw the man smile in my previous role as a sportscaster. I'd need several hands to count the number of times he came across as a bitter, often brooding, individual in the locker room.

For a guy who made millions of dollars playing football on one of the best teams in the game and won a much coveted Super Bowl ring, he always struck me as the unhappiest guy in the room. Go Figure. Oh sure, he'd occasionally hold court and even joke with the media...but there always seemed to be an underlying uneasiness on the part of the interviewer and the interviewee.

Maybe a change of scenery will do him good and yes, maybe the Pats will miss his punishing running style. But maybe after 10 seasons in the NFL, he'll finally find happiness in retirement or with another team. One can only hope so. Life's too short...just ask the family of Dennis Johnson.

  Happy to see the Revs finally came to their senses and re-signed Taylor Twellman to a four year, 1.2 million dollar contract. It's a long time coming for Twellman who has done nothing but represent the franchise extremely well over the years.

  This past season the former league MVP had a bit of an edge to him off the field and even appeared bitter at times because he wasn't sure what his future held. Can't say as I blame him. But now he can rest easy knowing a new deal's in place and he's being paid the kind of money a player of his caliber deserves. Let's face it...Taylor Twellman is the face of the franchise PAST TO PRESENT.

  In four years he'll be on the other side of his career...but by that time his legendary status as a member of the New England Revolution will be cemented all the more.

  No need to change the billboard outside Gillette.