2007 Boston Red Sox - How Sweep It Is!

In similar fashion, the Boston Red Sox repeated the feat they accomplished in 2004 and swept their World Series opponent in 4 games claiming the title of world champions for the 2nd time in 4 years. A group of us have been following the Sox all season (going so far as to start an Official Red Sox Nation of the Quad Cities page on Facebook) and are so happy to see them win it all (again) in such convincing fashion.

It was a drama-filled season going all the way back to when the Red Sox had a 16 game lead in their division culminating in a mid-season moment versus the rival New York Yankees that saw back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs. However, the early success made them relax and, in their complacency, saw their lead dwindle and eventually ended up winning the pennant by a mere two games. Then the Sox found themselves down 1-3 in the American League Championship Series against a hot Cleveland Indians team.

They never lost another game.

8 wins later and they are the world champions.

It was eerily similar to what they did back in 2004, finding themselves down 0-3 in the ALCS to the New York Yankees, and then winning 8 games in a row and knocking off the St. Louis Cardinals in route to their first world championship since 1918. The Colorado Rockies, winners of 21 of their last 22 games heading into the fall classic, had the unfortunate task of sharing the Cardinals fate.

On a personal note, here's also a bit of interesting karma for you: last year I took a tour of the new Busch Stadium in St. Louis and the Cardinals subsequently won the 2006 World Series. As mentioned in an earlier post of mine, I drove a friend out to Boston for a job interview a few months back and ended up taking a tour of Fenway Park while there.......and now Boston has won the World Series.

Coincidence?

Yes. Very much so.

But if you are superstitious, (for the right price) I will happily make arrangements to come to your town and tour a professional stadium in hopes that the good karma will follow your team there as well (I'm looking at you, various Seattle pro sports franchises).

In the meantime, let's go Red Sox!

By the way, I've totally been listening to "Tessie" on repeat as I've been entering this post (if you're a Sox fan, you'll get that reference).

(all photos appear courtesy of MLB.com)

Othello wraps & a Red Sox'tober

Othello is officially in the rearview mirror and was quite a success as we sold out every show our final weekend. It was a fun experience, but taught us that matinee's aren't always a good idea. Plus our venue was double-booked with a Scott County Wrestling event on Friday and a potentially disasterous situation was, due do some last minute conversations with the venue, avoided as the wrestlers were moved to a later date. We received really strong reviews (again) and are looking forward to bringing The Taming Of The Shrew to the stage in March of 2008.

Another positive is that the marketing pieces I did for the show were really well received and I may end up with a few freelance gigs out of it, so keep those fingers crossed.

I did see a few more movies...

The Brad Pitt/Casey Affleck western, The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford, was a pleasant surprise as I haven't seen a solid western film since Tombstone. While it was a bit drawn out at times as we are firmly following Robert Ford's side of things, the suspense and great acting tends to even out the slow pacing. Knowing little about James' story (or Ford's, for that matter), I was captivated to find out what really happened as well as the fallout for Ford's actions on that fateful afternoon. Was James really the folk hero history has made him out to be? The film does take a look at that and does show that Ford was, technically, the 'good' guy in this scenario as he was taking out a wanted criminal, but the way in which he did it is what makes this story legend. I would definitely say rent this one as it needs to be viewed while you can take a break, but is definitely worth a viewing nonetheless.

The other film I caught was Shoot Em Up, starring Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti returning to the bad guy role he does so well (see Howard Stern's Private Parts). You pretty much have to check your reality at the door the minute the opening credits begin as this film gives Speed a run for its money in terms of action per minute. It's an action film that's self-aware that it's an action film and proudly takes liberties and makes fun of that fact. Clive Owen's delivery is spot-on...and, dare I say, has a twinge of, "I could've been James Bond, y'know..." feel to it (taking nothing away from Daniel Craig's amazing take on that franchise despite Owen being the fan favorite for the coveted role). I can honestly say, I had a lot of fun watching the insanity that is this film as did the group I saw it with. As I said, you need to be in a loose, care-free mood before viewing it - or in that angry, "I want to hurt something," mode. Plus, you'll never look at carrots the same again.

Let's see......what else?

Oh yeah....

THE RED SOX ARE IN THE WORLD SERIES! What an amazing ALCS for them to come back against the Cleveland Indians in similar fashion to the way the did against the rival New York Yankees in 2004. While admittedly not following the Sox as well as I could've been during the 2005 & 06 seasons, this year I was able to visit Boston and tour the legendary Fenway Park and have been following them like a hawk ever since. I remember being in a friend's dorm room watching back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs in a game against the Yanks and knew that this season would be special. Granted, we need four more wins for another title and that the Colorado Rockies are a formidable opponent (winning 21 of 22 games), but I feel we've got the momentum and hope for another well-earned championship will make it's way to Beantown that doesn't have the words "Patriots" attached to it.

My best bud Casey (Jeff Award nominee from a previous post) is now an engaged man now as he proposed to his girlfriend at Disney in Orlando, FL, this past week. I've been informed that I'll be splitting best man duties with another friend of mine and we couldn't be happier for them.

And finally, since it is Halloween, I thought I'd close out by mentioning a fun thing that our local theater is doing. They're showing old horror movies as double features for only $5 - and some of the ones they've got slated are classics....in that Boris Karloff kind of way. Many of them have been spoofed by Mystery Science Theater 3000, but it was just as fun to see them in their original formats and the joking and laughter was made by pretty much everyone in attendance. It's a great idea and I can't believe that more theaters in the area aren't doing this as well.

Last week, a group of us got to see The Terror, starring Karloff and a very young Jack Nicholson, and the second feature was the original House On Haunted Hill (not the crappy Taye Diggs remake). They were both very campy, but great reminders as to why I enjoy this time of year so much. Halloween is that one time of year where it's acceptable to dress up as something you are not or something that you've always wanted to be, but obviously can't - and yet our imaginations all let go for one night and allow us to just be whatever we want, and I think that's really cool (and maybe why I enjoy theatre as well...?).

Plus, women just look all hot and stuff dressed up in costumes.

That's about all that's exciting from this neck of the woods. What's up with you?

Othello & a Tuxedo

So in the completely random department, I bumped into some pledge/fraternity brothers on my way to a ComedySportz show Saturday and it turns out the one of my pledge brothers was getting married and a bachelor party was underway. Having not seen said fraternity brothers in nigh on 6 or so years, I decided to meet up with them afterwards, but it timed out that the only place I could find them was at a strip club....a place I had never been before in 31 years. So I cave & I went and, much like your first time at a Hooters, it's very surprising for about the first 3 minutes and then it's just kind of....eh. I guess I made a bigger deal out of not going to these places in the past, but having finally cracked the preverbial cherry and finally going into one, I didn't really feel like I was missing out on much.

It was great catching up with those guys and I was also able to reconnect with my closest friend in that group, Troy, who's blog has moved to a new address (see link to the right - I've had a bad link for the past 6 months). He's doing well, is now a father, and I genuinely hope to stay in touch with him more in the coming months.

Besides that, Othello is right around the corner and I will leave you with a couple of marketing images from the show (done by yours truly) as I need to get to practice.