Breakfast Blend: A Raptor Wrap-Up and a Soccer Match Settled With Cartwheels

by John Beattie on Sat, Nov 14, 2009 at 8:37AM

Believe it or not, the Raptors are heating up. They own a 5-4 record and sit in second place behind the Celtics in the Atlantic Division.

With the rest of the division struggling — 76ers (4-5), Knicks (1-9) and Nets (0-9) — the Toronto hoopsters are working so hard they appear to be fighting themselves.

Photo of the day
What should the caption for this photo be? Please leave your suggestions in the comments section below.

Comment of the day
Daisuke Matsuzaka‘s difficult 2009 didn’t go over well with Red Sox Nation as many fans lost their faith in the third-year righty. But Dice-K plans on bouncing back big in 2010 and will be starting an early preseason conditioning program with the Athletes’ Performance Institute in Phoenix, Ariz. — a facility which fellow Red Sox stars Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis also use.

One Red Sox fan (speaking for many), D.L.G. would like to see the crafty hurler use less pitches to go more innings in 2010.

“…Just so
tired of seeing the defense on their heels all the time he pitches and his 100+
pitches in five innings. You gotta figure the bullpen has to get greased up
early on all his starts. I have gotta believe he pitched the fewest innings for
anyone that won 18 games. Ahh the good old days when a man pitched at least
seven, most of the time eight, and even a complete game. Few and far in between
nowadays. Dice-K……..how about 3-4 good pitches and throw strikes..enough of
your nonsense.”
–D.L.G.

Video of the day
There have been many wild things happening on soccer fields these days — hair-pulling, back punching and eye-gouging. Add another to the list. A Hartford goalkeeper embarrasses himself with a cartwheel before a penalty kick and then gets out-cartwheeled by a Stony Brook player.