UNITED 93 MOVIE REVIEW/ QUOTES OF THE WEEK

Over the past week the horrors and heroism of 9/11 were brought back in vivid detail with the release of the movie United 93. In light of this release, the question on everyone's mind has been, is it too early? Have the scars healed enough for us to revisit that tragic day almost five years ago when America lost thousands of people, and one of its most famous land marks? I believe the answer is yes. United 93 is a gripping tribute to all who lost their lives that day, and to those that they left behind. The film is what I like to call a "silent tribute", in that it contains not political commentary. The viewer sees that day up close, through the eyes of some of the people that were affected by it the most.

This is a movie that challenges the viewer and makes him or her think by allowing the movie-goer to view things as they were happening, from the perspective of the air traffic controllers, as well as the people on board the tragic flight that the film was named after. This makes for (at times) a shocking viewing experience, but one that is missing in today's offerings of movies which often consist of nothing more than remakes and sequels. This movie moved me in ways that none has since Oliver Stone's JFK, and Steven Spielberg's 1998 World War II epic Saving Private Ryan (my all-time favorite movie). It is evident by watching the film that Paul Greengrass did his research on the people and happenings of 9/11.(the film is based on the 9/11 Commission Report, as well as interviews with the victim's families, all of whom were willing to contribute accounts of their loved ones) Directors and producers not doing proper research is always a pet peeve of mine whenever Hollywood tackels an historic event. Being a history buff, I am always frustrated how some movie directors put there own spin on history (as was done with movies like Titanic and Pearl Harbor), often turning them into "love stories", while the actual event or happening seems secondary.

As the film begins we see all of the principles starting their day. Passengers getting on board the flight are seen checking in at the ticket counter at Newark Airport, the terrorists wash up in their hotel room, and newly promoted National Air Traffic Control Center supervisor Ben Sliney - played by himself, as are the traffic contollers in Boston, and New York, as well as the National Air Defense Commanders in Rome, NY, This gives the film an air on authenticity, which is often lacking when Hollywood deals with historic events - introduces himself to the staff at the control center in Herndon, Va. on his first day on duty. As the passengers await bording at the waiting area of the airport we see how the terrorists blend in as if the were any other business or leasure traveler. It is in these initial scenes as passengers make last minute phone calls to loved ones and employers, where we see what Ty Burr of the Boston Globe rightly described in his review of the film, as the "final stages of our national innocence."

The film alternates between the happenings aboard flight 93, and the chaos that ensued at NATC, the Air Defense Center, and the desks of the contollers monitoring all of the hijacked flights. It is incredible for the viewer to see how the events of the day escalated, as more and more of the dots were being connected by the air traffic controllers, the military, and those on Sliney's staff in Herndon. Little by little, more information comes in, each item carrying more horrific details than the preceeding one.

The film reaches its climax as the terrorists aboard flight 93 finally decide that the time is right to hijack the plane, a build-up that is much like that of a horror movie. Meanwhile on the ground, more and more news comes in, and the worst fears are realized by those in the Air Defense Command Center, as well as the air controllers on Sliney's staff in Herndon. As the film ends we see the world change right before our eyes on that cloudless, late Summer day almost five years ago. At the risk of giving too much of the film away, the actual ending itself is like nothing I have ever seen in all of my life of watching movies.

To answer the question, yes the time is right for this movie. I will never fault someone (perhaps one who lost a loved one in the attacks), for not wanting to see the film, but I feel that people should see it. It remembers and honors the heroes aboard that United flight, the people who saved the the White House from a possible attack, and those whose courage under impossible circumstances, lives on through all of us today.

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

" From this point on, all flights are grounded!!!! I don't want anything coming in from either coast, nothing from South America, Mexico, and nothing over the top...Shut off Canada too!!!...We're at war with somebody, and until we find out who, no flights are coming into this country...I don't care where you have to land them!!!."
- Ben Sliney from the movie United 93

"I hope they don't boo me, there is already enough hatred in the world today."
-Yankees Centerfielder Johnny Damon before his return to Fenway Park

"I'm a little dissapointed by the reaction of the fans...I guess we should feel proud. Evidently, wearing a Yankee uniform overrides winning a World Series, and busting your tail for four years. Without Johnny here, they mave have been going on 89 or 90 years without a title."
-Yankees manager Joe Torre on Red Sox fans booing Johnny Damon upon his return to Fenway Park Monday evening.

"With the 21st pick in the NFL Draft, the Patriots select Laurence Moroney..Running Back, from the University of Minnesota."
- NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue announcing the Patriot's first pick last Saturday

AN ODE TO THE BIG BAD BRUINS/ QUOTES OF THE WEEK

This weekend one of the most exciting, and drama-filled spectacles in sports makes its triumphant return after a year absence. Of course I am referring to the NHL playoffs, a two month endurance test which contains some of the most emotional, and gut wrenching action that North American sports has to offer. It does not matter if one is a Hockey fan or not, the NHL "tournament" captures your attention. It takes Sixteen victories to win the Stanley Cup, and each of the contests is a mini-war unto itself. Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman once stated that with each of the 16 wins he felt as if five years was taken off his career.

As a fan some of my fondest memories are of being in Boston Garden during the late 80's and early 90's, and watching the Bruins do battle with the likes of the Hartford Whalers, Montreal Canadiens, and Pittsburgh Penguins (although more often than not, Boston would come out on the losing end vs.The Penguins). The energy in the old building was the most intense I have ever experienced in any sports environment, and that includes recent Patriots games I have attended at Gillette Stadium. it is in this spirit that I give you a tribute to one of the most unique teams in Boston sports history, the "Big Bad Bruins" of the late 60's and early 70's.

In every city that has four major sports teams, a particular group of athletes come around every now and then that defines that city or region; sometimes these teams are a microsm for the era in which they play. For New England during the time period of aproximatley 1966-1974, that team was the Big Bad Bruins. This was a team that lived by the credo "all for one and one for all. This was a team for which the "Third Man In" rule was created in the NHL (this rule states that during a fight if a third man jumps in, then that player is automatically ejected) They were hard living, hard partying, and a group of men that would be labeled very politically incorrect if they played in today's era. The best description I have heard of this group came from author and fomer WCVB Boston commentator Clark Booth in his brilliant book, "Boston Bruins Celebrating 75 Years." In discussing the teams' penchant for "wine and women" Booth states: "These were the type of guys that would play cards with your uncle on a Friday night. They drank, they swore, they got into fights, your uncle would tell you not to do what they did, but you still considered them part of the family."

More importantly it was the way they played the game, and their influence on Hockey in New England that seperates the Bruins of that time period. Rinks were built by the dozens all throughout the boston area in the early 70's. Participation in youth Hockey programs soared, and remains high. What's more, there are many kids today who were not even born during his era, that consider Bobby Orr their favorite athlete of all time.

Robert Gordon Orr. Every discussion of Bruins hockey during the late 60's and early 70's must begin and end with the greatest player in NHL history. Yes you read that correctly. There have been many Centericemen, forwards, and even some goalies that have had the ability to take over and dominate a game, but there have been no Defensemen before or since that have had the impact that Orr did in his career. Goals, assists, end to end rushes were the staple of his game. The man could kill penalties all by himself, which was why during penalties, the Bruins would often put Orr with three forwards on the penalty killing unit, the thought being that there were goals to be had if Orr could get sprung loose into the attacking zone, and more often than not they were right. This was man who led the the NHL in goals and assists during the 1973-74 season, won the Hart Trophy (league MVP), led histeam to the Stanley Cup Finals (where they lost to the Philadelphia Flyers), and did it all without cartiledge in his right knee. Fellow Bruins legend and Hall of Famer Milt Schmidt ( the anchor of the famous "Kraut" Line of the 1940's along with Woody Dumart, and Bobby Bauer) once said of Orr: "If someone comes along better than Bobby Orr, I just hope God keeps me alive long enough to see him, because that will be one Hell of a Hockey player."

The signature moment for these Bruins came at the old Boston Garden on Mother's Day, May 10th, 1970. The St. Louis Blues were the opponent. (or, the Christians, with the Bruins playing the role of the lions, according to coach, and future General Manager Harry Sinden's description of that day's proceedings) 40 seconds into overtime Orr flew through the air and delivered the Bruins their first Stanley Cup in 29 years, as well as one of the single most memorable moments in Boston sports history, if not all of sports. Go into any sports bar in the Boston area and you are bound to see Ray Lussier's famous black and white photo of Orr soaring like Superman, after recieving the feed from Derek Sanderson, getting tripped by Noel Pickard, and thus cementing the legend of that Bruins team. Here is Clark Booth's account of that day:"It was Mother's Day, and the old Garden, brimming with at least three thousand more people than the fire laws allowed, was a sauna. Orr stuffed the puck past the Blue's legendary goalie Glenn Hall, 40 seconds into sudden death overtime, thus setting off a city-wide, and region-wide jubilation". Everytime I see a film ofthe goal, announcer Dan Kelly's call always givesme goosebumps:

"Esselstone plays it off the boards, and Keenan clears it but not out...Bobby Orr...behind the net to Sanderson to ORR!!!...BOBBY ORR, SCORES!!! AND THE BOSTON BRUINS HAVE WON THE STANLEY CUP!!!...ORR CUT TO THE NET AND TOOK THE FEED, AND LOOK AT THE MOB SCENE ON THE ICE!!!!"

Booth's description of said celebration is classic: "The celebration that followed was epic. the jubilant ceremonies on the ice, with the skating of the Stanley Cup in scores of victory laps, was but the warm-up for a festival in the locker room that lasted five hours and then moved onto the streets, threading through various downtown bistros until noon the next day when the entire team, greatly the worse for wear, gathered on the mayor's balcony at City Hall to be trumpeted by some five hundred thousand screaming admirers. There, a part-time rodeo bronco buster and full time right winger named Johnny McKenzie, known as "Pie", topped the proceedings by dumping a bucket of beer over the head of Mayor Kevin White. It was Homeric."

Sadly, like many eras in professional sports, this one did not last anywhere near as long as it should have. although another cup was won in 1972, injuries, bad trades, as well as the advent of the upstart WHA conspired to bring this particular era to a premature end, and that really is a shame. Sanderson, McKenzie, goalie Gerry Cheevers among others left for more money in the new league, and numerous knee operations forced Orr to miss significant time. Then the unthinkable happened when Orr was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in 1976. The reasons for this trade are still the subject of much debate to this day. Harry Sinden's story (which he is sticking to) is that Orr was offered a front office position, as well as part ownership of the team, in exchange for him signing a one year deal to stay in Boston which Orr was not informed of according to Sinden, so that Orr and by extension Eagleson, could take advantage of the millions of dollars the Blackhawks were willing to throw their way. On the surface this scenario could make perfect sense. Eagleson was very dishonest in many of his business dealings (he went to jail for stealing money from the pensions of some of his clients, including Phil Esposito) and he stood to make more money from Orr, than anyone else he represented. The problem I have with this explanation is that it ignores two very important questions.

Number 1: Assuming this did in fact take place, why did the Bruins let it reach that point? It is not unreasonable to expect the organization to have had a deal worked out with the best player in their history, long before a corrupt agent got involved.

Number 2: Why did Sinden wait until he locked in the same type of contentious negotations with Ray Bourque prior to the 1993-94 season to inform everyone of this conspiracy? Sinden has been lambasted (and righfully so) in Boston over the years for allowing the very team that he built to be broken apart, a deveopment that the organization in many respects has still not recovered from. Does it not stand to reason that he could have saved the team and himself from some terrible PR by making the story of this alleged collusion public before he did? Perhaps we will never the know the true story of what took place 30 years ago. The only ones who know are the principles, and none of them have been willing to talk about it.

Despite the dissapointing epilogue to this story, it does not diminish the place that the Big Bad Bruins have in the hearts of Boston sports fans to this day. The players are long since retired and the building they played in has been torn down for over ten years, but the Bruins from that era are what Bruins hockey is all about.

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

"I hear the voices and I read the front page and I know the speculation, But I'm the decider and I decide what's best. And what's best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the secretary of defense."
- Bush

"Someone very close to the president said to me, you know, he won't fire Rumsfeld because it would be the equivalent of firing himself."
- Tim Russert

(Courtesy of Smokin Steve):
"We didn't make the playoffs. I've got a lot of [bleeping] work to do, and this is some [bleep] that is a distraction to me. Am I pissed off? You're goddamn right I am. Is that what you want to hear? You [bleeping] heard it."
-Philadelphia 76ers GM Billy King, reacting to the controversy as a result of Allen Iverson and Chris Webber arriving late

"I've never experienced it before, not in Little League, high school, just complete euphoria ...You almost have to step back and say, 'Is the game really over?' Do the math real quick."
- Red Sox second baseman Mark Loretta reacting to his game winning homerun on Patriot's Day

EMPTYING OUT THE DESK DRAWER OF SPORTS TOPICS AND QUOTES OF THE WEEK

- Summer will officially come early to the TD Banknorth Garden this year. For the first time since the 2000-01 season, both the Celtics and Bruins will miss the playoffs, thus confirming that it will be a dark Spring on Causeway Street. Of course to anyone following the fortunes (or misfortunes) of both teams all year, this isnot news to anyone that has followed the fortunes (or misfortunes) of both teams. The Bruins officially threw in the towel with the trade of Sergei Samsonov, and confirmed previous suspicions that the organization was a ruderless ship, when GM Mike O'Connoll was fired at the end of March. Of course by all indications current interim GM Jeff Gorton is the early favorite to replace O'Connell, despite the fact that candidates such as Dean Lombardi and Brian Burke are available. If Gorton does indeed get the nod, it will just confirm the fact that Jacobs likes to be surrounded by his loyal soldiers rather than someone with fresh ideas, who may not agree with the philsophies that have permeated the organization for as long as the Jacobs/Sinden regime has been in power.

- A point that is equally puzzling occured earlier this week, when Gorton closed the door on drafting Boston College forward Chris Collins. Of course there is no gaurantee that Collins would be the savior that the organization has been looking for, but with such a talented kid playing right in their backyard, isn't it worth it to atleast give the kid a shot, rather than just dismissing him as "not NHL ready", as the Bruins appear to be doing? I mean, how far would they really have to travel if they wantedto schedule a workout? This is just another mystery regarding how the Boston Bruins do business. For those keeping score at home, Collin's name can be now added to the list that includes players such as Chris Drury, Keith Tcachuk, Jay Pandolfo, Jeremy Roenick and others that played their high school and college games as close as an MBTA ride away from the Garden, yet somehow escaped the Bruins reach.


- It was good to see that the Patriots got a deal done for Richard Seymour this past week, avoiding what could have been a protracted contract standoff after the 2006 season. The contract is for four years and will make Seymour one of the highest paid defensive linemen in the NFL, and most important to the Patriots, is salary cap friendly. According to reports, Seymour will recieve a 5.34 Million dollar bonus, and a base salary of $585,000 base salary for 2006. In 2007 he will get an 18.66 Million dollar bonus and a $600,000 base salary. For '08, the base salary jumps to $730,000, and during the 2009 season, the contract calls for a 3.685 Million dollar salary escalation.

So now the Patriots have arguably the best D Limenan in the NFL locked up for atleast three more years, and have cap room to try and get a deal done with WR Deion Branch, who is scheduled to become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2006 season. It seemed to be a quick and painless negotation, as far as Seymour and his agent are concerned, but pretty painful from the Patriots standpoint when you consider the players that they had to let walk to clear out salary cap space ( David Givens, Willie McGinnest, Adam Vinatieri). That is the cost of doing business in the salary cap era. Left unanswered is the question of what will happen if a player of lesser talent signs a deal that trumps Seymour's contract (which is boundto happen eventually). Number 93 sidestpped the question when presented with such a scenario by the Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe in Friday's edition. So in the end the Patriots and Seymour's agents managed to prolong the inevitable, which when you get right down to it, that is what free agencey is all about in the NFL.

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

"I just saw a 20 wheel brinks truck pull up, Seymour must have signed."
- Unnamed Patriots employee commenting on Richard Seymour's contract signing

"The White House is not an intelligence gathering agency."
- White House Spokesman Scott McClellan when asked whether President Bush knew that the identification of Iraqui trailers as "biological laboratories" had already been debunked

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to Fenway Park."
- Red Sox P.A. announcer Karl Bean welcoming fans to last Tuesday's opening day game

" I don't think it bothers me directly as much as it bothers me that my family has to hear that... As long as the guys in the room appreciate what I'm doing for the organization, then I'm fine."
- Bruins Defenseman Hall Gill's reaction to getting booed when he name was announced for an assist, during Thursday's game at the TD Bank North Garden.

SOME PICKED UP POLITICAL PIECES AND QUOTES OF THE WEEK


- It didn't take long for the "bipartisan" Immigration Bill to be sabotaged by the Ultra Nationalist wing of the Repubican Party. On Thursday, it appeared that a bill was nearing passage in both houses of Congress that would allow for citizenship for most of the 11 million illegal aliens currently in the United States. The legislation would have provided a three-tiered path to legal status (after back taxes, fines, etc are paid), giving preference to those who have been in the country for five years or longer (there would have been no guarantees for those with less than two year's residency). As of Thursday evening everything looked great.

The bill seemed to have support from both Republicans (even the White House) and Democrats (Ted Kennedy and John McCain being the main sponsors), and even some GOP members in the House were optimistic of its passage. So What happened? The House Repubicans (most notably Tom Tancredo of Colorado) are holding up the bill, calling the residency policy "amnesty", while holding out for increased border security (Tancredo supports erecting an armed wall wall, complete with electronic fencing on the Mexican border). What's more, Senate Majority leader Bill Frist, who supported the measure as of Thursday, now suddenly wants votes on GOP amendments (read: POISON PILLS) to the measure. "I see little progess possibe on this bill because of the obstruction by Democrats", Frist was quoted as saying in Saturday's edition of the Boston Globe. So, let me see if I get this straight: Repubicans in both houses, the President, and even the Senate Majority leader were on record as joining Democrats in suport of this bill, yet its prospects appear bleak at this hour? It sounds to me that someone was "gotten to, as they say in the mob.

- The White House continues to insult our intelligence on a near weekly basis regarding the C.I.A. leak scandal. If we are to believe Scoter Libby's recent testimony, he was authorized by the either the President himself, or vice President Cheney (of course he did not specify which one), to leak intelligence regarding "information" about Saddam Hussein's alleged pursuit of uranium from Niger. Of course when Joe Wilson wrote an Op-ed piece in the Times debunking this "information" for the lie that it is, his wife's (Valery Plame) identity as a C.I.A. Operative was mysteriously leaked to Conserative columnist Robert Novack, a point that all involved in the scandal continue to claim that they know nothing about. This begs the obvious question: What is the process by which the White House deems information worthy of being revealed to the press, and who is authrorized to leak such info? Great question indeed. I am sure the actual answer is as creative as the work of fiction that the Bush Administration is offering up as a rationalization for this whole affair. Michael Kranish has a good account of this whole affair in Saturday'sedition of the Boston Globe. It can be viewed here:

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/04/08/white_house_defends_cia_data_leak/

QUOTES OF THE WEEK:

"I saw it crash to the ground, and all of a sudden it was like 9/11, and I saw people run to the car, at least 10 men, and try to pull the crane off."
-Ironworker Mark Elliot describing the accident Monday on Boylston Street in Boston, in which three people died when a construction scaffolding collapsed

"When I got into the batter's box and got two strikes on me, my legs were shaking. I was like, 'Oh my goodness, what's going on?' I was going, 'OK, come on, breathe, do something."
- Red Sox Centerfielder Coco Crisp on his first at-bat in a Red Sox uniform

"I was down, but she was the one saying, 'Hey, don't worry about it. Things could be alot worse'."
- Boston College Hockey forward Chris Collins on his mother's MS diagnosis

"5..4...3...2...1...THEY DID IT, IT'S ALL OVER!!... THE BADGERS HAVE WON THE NATIONAL TITLE."
ESPN Announcer Gary Thorn's call as Wisconson won the Frozen Four Saturday evening

A Further Follow-Up And Some More Quotes Of Note

I got some positive feedback on my mini-expose regarding the issue of teen drug abuse. My former English teacher who now lives in my apartment building, and with whom I attended a School Board meeting a few weeks ago, (in which budget cuts were debated that may negatively affect Health classes at the elementary level), read my two posts on this blog concerning drug abuse among kids. It seems he saw the same A & E Intervention episode that I did, which depicted a girl's addiction to Heroin, and how her illness has affected her family, and was just as moved as I was. He has personally intervened on behalf of kids in his classes who have had similar problems, so it is safe to say that the show hit close to home. He further stated that I should attend more School Committee meetings and make my voice heard. I am seriously considering doing so, and I will update this blog with any and all further developments.

Now back to a lighter subject. I had fun with my last "Quotes of Note" post and have decided to continue with it today. I am also considering picking a few quotes each week and naming them my "Quotes of The Week". This will take a little bit of work on my part, but I am up for the challenge. So once again for your enjoyment, here are some more of my favorite quotes. I decided to go with music and sports quotes for these entries. Included in this list are some of my all-time favorite quotes from NFL Films narrator John Facenda. Here we go:

"Ken Walter will hold, Lonnie Paxton will snap, angle to the far side to Vinatieri's right...snap, ball down, kick is on the way and it's...GOOD!!! IT'S GOOD!!!! IT'S GOOD!!!! IT'S GOOD!!!!... ADAM VINATIERI, BOOMS A 48 YARD FIELDGOAL, AND THE GAME IS OVER, AND THE PATRIOTS ARE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS...THE PATRIOTS ARE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!"
- Patriots announcer Gil Santo's call as the Patriots won Superbowl XXXVI

"Ground ball back to Faulk!!! Boston fans have longed to hear it...The Boston Red Sox are World Champions!!!"
- Fox announcer Joe Buck as the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series

"Aaaaaannnnd...Now we have a steal by Bird!!... Over to DJ he lays it in!!! BIRD STOLE THE INBOUND PASS...!!!...NOW THE CELTICS HAVE A ONE POINT LEAD WITH ONE SECOND LEFT!!!!...OH MY THIS PLACE IS GOING CRAZY!!!
- Celtics announcer Johnny Most's call during Game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals

"You don't watch the films that I do, you don't sit in on the meetings, the truth is you don't know...you think you do, but you..just..don't..know...and you never...will."
- Jim Mora

"We can't run the ball, we can't throw the ball, we couldn't do DIDDLY POO offensively!!! Hell we gave 'em the Damn game!!! We sucked out there today!!! We flat out scucked!!!"
- Jim Mora

"That guy can take 11 of 'his'n and beat all all 53 of 'yours'n"
- Bum Phillips on former Steelers coach Chuck Knoll

"Through the chill of December the early Winter moans...but it's that January wind that rattles old bones."
- John Facenda

"Excitment elctrifies us, victory spikes the air, all sights are set on one glittering goal...the chance to play and win in the Superbowl."
- John Facenda

"Woe to he who goes against the charge of the on-coming lineman beware the drive block, the forearm shiver...it's one ton of muscle with a one track mind."
- John Facenda

"Perhaps someone can tell me what the NY Jets are doing in this draft today, because I don't have a clue."
- Mel Kiper, Jr.

"We are going to do things and make decisions here to benefit the Indianapolis Colts, NOT Mel Kiper!!!...Who the Hell IS Mel Kiper, anyway?...he couldn't hold my jock!!!"
- Colts owner Jimmy Irsay

"Esselstone plays it off the boards, and Keenan clears it but not out..Bobby Orr.. behind the net to Sanderson to ORR!!!...BOBBY ORR...SCORES!!!...And the Boston Bruins have won the Stanley Cup!!!"
- Dan Kelly's call on May 10th, 1970 as the Bruins won the Stanley Cup

"THEY DID IT...THEY DID IT..THEY DID IT!!!...THE NEW YORK RANGERS HAVE WON THE STANLEY CUP!!!...THE JINX IS HISTORY!!!"
- ESPN Announcer Gary Thorne's call the New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994

"ALL THIS NEGATIVITY THAT'S IN THIS TOWN SUCKS!!!"
- Rick Pitino

"Trained like dogs, color and smell, walk by me to get to him...POLICE SHOT MY BROTHER AGAIN!!!"
- Pearl Jam song WMA

"I feel the storm is getting closer, andthe wavesthey get so high..but everything we've ever known is here, why must it drift away and die?"
- Guns N' Roses

"We got our truck, we got some gas...Let's get the Hell out of here, and get out there fast...This whole city's confused, so you stay in your room...When I go I promise I won't be alone."
- Pearl Jam's untitlled tribute song to the fallen firefighters on 9/11

"It used to be so easy, a breeze to get there...I'd take Storrow Drive to Fenway, get off at Kenmore Square...Now it's all been changed around, they send you down, around, and back...This Dig is driving me Fucking crazy, I want my city back."
- Mighty, Mighty Bosstones

"Well how do you do young Willy McBride? Do you mind if I sit here down by your graveside?...Well I see from your grave your only 19, when you joined the great fallen on Omaha Beach...Well I hope you died quick, and I hope you died clean...Oh Willy McBride was it slow and obscene?"
- Dropkick Murphy's

"Our target's straight on a room full of armed pawn...to off the king, and out Westside at dawn."
- Rage Against The Machine

"Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamp."
- Public Enemy

"I've seen almost 3,000 names engraved on a stone...Most of them died in burning buildings some years ago...all of them left Brothers, and Sisters, and families behind...And all of them are still looking for answers and want to know why."
- Audioslave

QUOTES OF NOTE

After dealing with the very serious topic of teen drug abuse and prevention the past two weeks, I figured I would choose a lighter topic for today's entry. In the interest of keeping things fresh, I give to you my (partial) list of favorite quotes. Anyone that has ever recieved an E-Mail from me, knows my obesssion with quotes, either famous or obscure. This interest is due in part to my experience working in the newspaper business, where I had to collect and try to decipher quotes from athletes and public officials, almost on a daily basis.

The things that always struck me about quotes is their ability to tell a story in a very small amount of words. Some are direct and to the point so the world understands their meaning such as Martin Luther King's famous "I have a dream" statement. Some take a background in English Literature to understand, such as most quotes by Shakespeare. I have foundthat some of the most difficult quotes to decipher are those made by politicians and famous people. One of my favorites is one that was given to me when I worked as a sportswriter for the Lynn Sunday Post. A professional baseball team had just move to Lynn, Ma. and were coached by a former Red sox player named George "Boomer' Scott. To say that Boomer was not very articulate, was like saying the sun is hot. The following is a direct quote from him about a centerfielder from the Nashua Pride. The player made a leaping catch at the wall in the old Frasier Field to rob Scott's team of a walk-off homerun. The quote is so priceless that I still have written down in a notebook. Believe it or not, this is a real quote:


"That Centerfielder?...boy's a hoss...real hoss...that boy play ball..I tell the owners, we get that man, he play ball for us like that, that's good...we gotta get that boy."

Those that know my political leanings may be surprised at some of the entries here. To a certain extent I tried to include quotes with historical significance, whether I like the person that made the quote or not. So without further ado, here are some of my favorite quotes of all time. Again, this is only a partial list, as I may post other volumes in the future.

" First they ignore you...then they laugh at you...then they fight you...then you win."
- Ghandhi, on his political enemies.

"some see things as they are and ask why..my brother saw things as they could be, and asked why not?"
- Ted Kennedy, giving Bobby Kennedy's eulogy

"The whole world is watching!!!"
- The chants of protesters at the 1968 Democratic Convention

" I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue."
- Barry Goldwater, 1964 Republican Convention

" Today freedom itself was attacked today by gutless cowards, and freedom will be defended."
- President Bush

"We are not going to worry about our casualties and losses...the point of war is to make the other Dumb Son of a Bitch worry about casualties and losses."
- General George S. Patton

"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on."
- Winston Churchill

"So far by all indications, Saddam Hussein has proven to be a master propogandist, schooled in deception tactics...as for his military prowess, his knowledge of the technical arts?...well, let's just say he is a Hell of a politician."
- General Norman Schwarzkopf

"Enjoy the war, because peace is going to be Hell."
- Popular saying in the German military towards the end of World War II

" Be nonviolent if you want, but I'll be tossing bombs."
- H. Rap Brown

"Tin soldiers and Nixon's coming we're finally on our own...this Summer I hear the drumming, four dead in Ohio."
- CSN&Y

" I lost most of the music and the songs I wrote, but I still feel lucky because Axle lost his mind."
- Slash

"There was an equipment manager at Michigan, and he must have had about 15 Big Ten rings...he does not have enough fingers for all of them...he would ask me, 'you know what my favorite ring is Tom?...The next one!!"
- Tom Brady

" You will run what seems like a hundred marathons in short, frantic sprints...normally civilized people will shout things at you that later even they would not beleive, and when it's all said and done, you will experience enough anger to start a war, and enough joy to prevent one."
- Bill Russell on playing in a Seventh Game of The NBA Finals

"The palms of your hands will thicken, the skin of your teeth will tan...you'll grow ragged, weary, and wet, but you must do the best you can"
"Autumn is a Raider, he stands imposing in his Silver sash...his brow is wet and scratched, he wears a thick mustache."
- John Facenda

"Winning in bad weather, on the road, with guys out of the lineup, almost the entire defensive backfield was out at one point, and these guys did not miss a beat...they just keep fighting, they don't know any other way to do it."
- Bill Belichick

"Ken Walter will hold, Lonny Paxton will snap, angle to the far side to Vinatieri's right...snap, ball down, kick is on the way and it's... GOOD!!! IT'S GOOD!!! IT'S GOOD!!! IT'S GOOD!!!... ADAM VINATIERI BOOMS A 48 YARD FIELD GOAL...AND THE GAME IS OVER...AND THE PATRIOTS ARE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS...THE PATRIOTS ARE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!!"
- Gil Santo's call as the Patriots won Superbowl XXXVI