Blogging BLOHARDS

NJ Star-Ledger On "Minor" Rivalry

BY LISA KENNELLY Star-Ledger Staff

The players were professional. The fans, less so. Those in Yankees jerseys glared at nearby fans dressed proudly in Red Sox attire. Those in Boston colors defiantly cheered on their team, while kids in pinstriped T-shirts tried to drown them out with their own chants.

All in all, it was your average Trenton Thunder-Portland Sea Dogs game. What, you thought this was Yankee Stadium? (Article here.)

Early And Often

As previously reported, BLOHARDS' member John ("Meet me at Foxwoods") Pizzarelli is one of the nine contestants vying in ESPN's Battle of the Bands.  Each performs "Take Me Out To the Ballgame" between now and late June.  Online voting (for Pizzarelli!) begins today here.  He's going against REO Speedwagon, or at least the guys who own the rights to the band name! Log on and vote for John!

BLOHARDS June Newsletter

Get your June Newsletter right here!

Rivalry Legends Gamble On Foxwoods

The greatest rivalry in sports took the field at Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, CT last Friday, June 1st, as New York Yankee and Boston Red Sox legends hit the world's largest casino to officially open the new Stadium Sports Bar & Grill.

Rich "Goose" Gossage, Graig Nettles and Jim Leyritz joined Boston icons Jim Rice, Bill "Spaceman" Lee and Luis Tiant.

Read the complete account from the Hartford Courant here.

Read Kevin Kernan's preview from the New York Post here.

(NY Post photo.)

WBZ "Rivalry Webcast" Online Today

"In anticipation of the Red Sox's weekend series with the Yankees, Boston's WBZ.com is launching a Rivalry Webcast this morning at 12:15 pm ET including commentary, viewer email and opinion polls. The CBS news radio website has an extensive archive of audio and video podcasts, giving the Red Sox nation another online resource." 

[News item from the good folks at Cynopsis Media.]

And The Monday Night Trivia Winners Are.....

Congratulations to the BLOHARDS team for their hard-fought win earlier this week in their debut foray into the Prof. Thom's Monday Night Trivia Contest.  In winning, the BLOHARDS set a new competition record for most total points and fewest incorrect answers. The questions and other details of the event are chronicled here on Quizmaster John Quinn's blog: The Mighty Quinn Media Machine.

The well-assembled, nattily-attired squad was captained by Peter "Gyroball!" Collery, and rounded out by six of the sharpest minds available on short notice.  Consistent with the sound logic displayed all night, the group reasoned that there is not a "T" in the native Hawaiian language "because there is no 'T' in 'Don Ho.'" 

As with the expectations around Roger Clemens pitching in a Single-A game, the BLOHARDS have more to lose than to win were they to compete every week at PT's.  That said, the team is expected to defend its all-time record next month, presumably after several members spend the month familiarizing themselves with current events in rap music, the BLOHARDS' only speedbump on the road to a memorable win. 

Barring any date conflicts at Prof. Thom's, the next BLOHARDS' highly informal viewing event will take place on Monday, June 18th (Sox at Braves). Stay tuned for final confirmation!

Daily Free Publicity

Thanks to reporter Ryan Menezes for his recent (99%) accurate account of the BLOHARDS in The Daily Free Press, the independent student newspaper at Boston University!

A Nation caught behind enemy lines

NEW YORK -- It's not easy being a Red Sox fan in the city, says longtime fan Joe Cosgriff -- New York City, that is.

"[Being] a Sox fan here?" he asked. "I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I didn't choose it. It's just something that happens."