The Boston Bruins will be tested right at the jump when we finally get around to dropping the puck on the lockout-shortened 2013 NHL season. According to Boston.com, the league has informed the Bruins that they will open the 2013 season on TD Garden ice against the New York Rangers. Opening night will take place on January 19th, and the game is slated to start at 7:00 PM, although that could still change. The Bruins went 1-2-1 against the Rangers last season, and Rick Nash will make his debut as a member of the blue shirts. The Rangers sent Brandon Dubinsky, Artim Anisimov, and defensive prospect Tim Erixson to Columbus, along with a first round draft pick, in exchange for Nash, minor league D-man Steve Delisle, and a conditional draft pick, back in July. Nash scored 30 goals to go along with 29 assists for 59 points with the Blue Jackets last season. He has just two goals and two assists in nine career games against the Bruins. New York out scored Boston 11-7 in last year’s season series, and The Rangers were eliminated by the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals last spring.

The National Hockey League held a press conference at 4:00 PM Eastern time today to announce the ratification of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. That means that as soon as the NHLPA ratifies the CBA, the 2013 NHL season will be officially underway. One would assume that will take place over the coming weekend. Commissioner Gary Bettman stated that the schedule would be released after the Players Union ratifies the agreement. “Our expectation is that we want to get the schedule out as fast as humanly possible, but we certainly don’t want to do it until the ratification process is complete.” Bettman also had this to say to the owners during the ratification meeting; “This is a good deal, this is a fair deal, and in collective bargaining, not everybody gets everything they want.”

After a long, heartbreaking negotiating process, we’re finally just a few steps away from NHL hockey.

This year Harvard is 6-4 through 10 games. The Crimson beat Boston College 79-63 on Dec. 4 and played Connecticut to a 57-49 loss three days later. In total they’ve won four of their last five entering a game against California tonight at 8 p.m. ET.

Wesley Saunders scores a team-high 15.8 points on 51 percent shooting from the field while Sioyani Chambers scores 12.7 and Laurent Rivard chips in 9.8. With conference play right around the corner (Harvard travels to Dartmouth on Jan. 12), the Crimson can hopefully ride this mini-tear to another automatic bid into the Big Dance so we can bet on March Madness here.

If they do, they likely won’t surprise anyone by playing a big-six conference team close for the majority of the game, but they’ll certainly be fun to watch.

Danny Ainge announced today on an interview with WEEI’s “The Big Show” that point guard Rajon Rondo has been suspended for two games by the NBA following and altercation with Kris Humphires of the Brooklyn Nets last night. Humphries fouled Kevin Garnett on the way to the basket, and Rondo pushed Humphries in retaliation. A brawl ensued as the action spilled into the stands. Rondo will miss games against Portland at home and the Bucks and Milwaukee. The league as not released any information regarding whether Humphries will face any kind of punishment, but one would assume that this would be the case. Gerald Wallace and Kevin Garnett could also be fined.

This suspension seems rather lenient given Rondo’s history with the league. If you remember, Rondo received a two game suspension last year for throwing a ball at an official during a game in Detroit. He also received a one game suspension for bumping a referee in Game 1 of Boston’s first round playoff series with Atlanta.

But most of all, I’m pissed because I saw this coming last week.  While at the game on Saturday the C’s were blowing out the Raptors, and Doc had emptied his bench; except for Darko.  This seemed odd to me, and as I peered down at him there, I could tell something was off.  In fact, I even wrote this in an email to some of my colleagues the next day:

 ”Watching Darko on the bench late in the 4th quarter at the Garden yesterday it looked like he knew there was zero chance he was playing, even though they we’re up 20.  He was sitting back with his legs out, almost bored, uninvolved in the game. Not sure what this means, but it’s not a good sign.”

If only I’d published it then… I also have a feeling there’s more to this story than we know right now.

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Amazingly in the final 3:12 of the game he assisted on each of the C’s final four field goals, and finished the night with 10.*  His streak of games with ten or more lives to see another day, now at 31.  The Celtics also held on for a 101-95 victory.  I have to admit though, the win was the secondary priority for me.  Despite the fact that I wrote about this a week ago, I wasn’t sure if I actually believed it myself until it came right down to it.  In the final minute of the game both the win and the streak were on the line, and the streak felt more important.

Last week the records were not readily available.  But as I assumed, now that Rondo’s streak is among the all time best (see picture), the media has figured it out.

Rondo also did something else against the Bulls that you very rarely see in an NBA game: He led Boston in points (20), rebounds (9), assists (10), and steals (5).

* It may actually be 11; with 4:54 to go Jason Terry hit a jumper and Pierce was credited with an assist, but it was actually Rondo who passed him the ball.  I didn’t think the pass was worthy of an assist, but if it was then Rondo actually assisted on Boston’s final five baskets.

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There were at least 3 or 4 plays where Rondo found a teammate wide open at the hoop, but missed out on an assist due to a foul on the layup attempt.  A player shouldn’t lose a potential assist just because the guy he passes to gets fouled.  If the shooter hits the free throws and the points still go one the board, why doesn’t the passer still get the credit?  Or if one of two foul shots are made, there could be half an assist awarded.

The scene pictured is a perfect example.  Kevin Garnett got shoved, then went to the line and knocked down a pair.   But Rondo’s pass is forgotten in the box score.

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Rondo dropped 11 dimes in the loss.

Early in the 3rd quarter of Friday night’s home opener the Celtics trailed the Bucks by twenty, 55-35.  I pointed up at the Garden scoreboard and said “Rondo only has 3 assists.  His streak might end.”  The Boston point guard has had 10 or more assists in 26 straight games (the 6th longest such streak in NBA history; here’s the all-time list from my esteemed colleague @StatsAdam).  Shortly after that I got annoyed when Rondo took a jump shot, “You can’t get assists by shooting!”  To this my buddy replied “You’re too worried about stats.  All that matters is wins and a championship.”

Well, the C’s lost, but Rondo ended up with 11 assists.  Obviously I wish Boston had won, but I was excited to see his streak continue (although a few of the assists in the 4th quarter were a bit questionable, and definitely the product of a home town scorekeeper aware of the situation).  And to be honest, if given the choice, I’m not sure I would have traded the streak ending for a victory.

I know that sounds ridiculous, and luckily I don’t think Rajon or any of the other players would agree with me. But in the long run, I think whether or not the Celtics won last night will have zero effect on the final outcome of the season.  If they don’t win the title, nobody’s going to be blaming it on a loss in game #2.

But you can’t have a championship every year, and the stats do matter.  Near record streaks are fun to watch, and part of the entertainment of sports.   Your team won’t win all the time, so it makes for a better fan experience when there’s other things besides victories that are important.

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The team headed off on their preseason trip to Europe. The last time they did that they won a title.

A year ago I guessed the Celtics would go 37-29, and they did two games better.  A lot of the same factors come into play when speculating on how the team will finish this year.  Boston is a well coached veteran squad that knows exactly what they are capable of.  They will not feel the need to try to prove themselves during the regular season.

And as we saw last spring, come playoff time Doc will choose health and rest over home court advantage if necessary.  I’m sure we’d all probably like to see Coach Rivers sacrifice a win or two here and there in order to give some extra rest to Pierce and Garnett along the way as well.  Although recent history and past numbers indicate that may not actually happen.

I do believe the Celtics will win what is sure to be an improved Atlantic Division (the Knicks, Nets, and Sixers all have legitimate division title aspirations).  My guess is this Boston team is probably capable of winning around 57-58 games, but could still accomplish what they want with 47 or 48.  Final prediction?  52-30.  In the post season I expect to see the C’s again battling the Heat for the conference title, and the right to face either LA or OKC in the Finals.  I can’t get my heart and my head to agree on who wins though, so I’ll leave it at that.  I guess it’s a battle between “Lucid” and “Fan.”

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According to ESPN, the NHL is preparing to cancel this year’s Winter Classic in Detroit, scheduled to take place on January 1st, featuring the Red Wings and the visiting Maple Leafs. Toronto would be the first Canadian team to play in the Winter Classic (although the Canadiens and Flames played an outdoor game in Calgary called the “Heritage Classic” in 2011. The league recently announced the cancellation of all games through the end of November, after withdrawing their proposed “50/50″ revenue split late last week. It’s hard to fathom that the league is more than ready to cancel it’s showcase event, especially given the popularity of the game in recent years. The owners are proving that they don’t care about the state of the league, the state of the game, or their reputation, the only thing that matters to them is money. They don’t make enough of it, they’re really struggling. If the players get any more of their money they may have to sell their 8 bedroom house and buy a 6 bedroom one. It’s truly a tragedy, and I feel terrible for the owners. Those poor souls who fight tooth & nail for every dollar they have, only to have a small chunk taken from them. If the league finds the gall to cancel the Winter Classic, you can expect the entire season to be cancelled. The only way we’re going to see hockey this season is if the players union blinks, throws in the white flag, for the sake of the fans.

And that, would just be a shame.

- Jason Terry hit 18 of 26 three’s, 69%.  Obviously he won’t keep that up, but it definitely bodes well for the new shooting guard.  Paul Pierce also made more than half his attempts from downtown, 14-27.  By comparison our old friend Ray down in Miami has connected on just 10 of 29 (35%) through 7 exhibition games (the Heat have one more tonight).

Will Green continue to be a major contributor?

- Rookie Jared Sullinger led the C’s in rebounding, averaging 7 per game.  I’m going to go out on a limb and predict he’ll lead the team during the regular season as well.  He also pulled down 20 offensive rebounds in 8 games, nearly a third of the team’s total (66), and more than double the next highest player (fellow rookie Kris Joseph with 9).  While this is definitely an impressive stat, I’m going to chalk it up mostly to the youthful exuberance.  Offensive boards are all about effort, and obviously the rookies care more and try harder during the preseason than veterans do; Kevin Garnett had just one offensive rebound.

- Rondo led the Celtics in minutes played, which is almost certain to happen during the season as well.  But second on the team was Jeff Green, a bit of a surprise.

- The same was also true for scoring; Pierce topped the C’s by averaging 15 points a game (also likely to continue in the regular season), while Green was second at 13.9 PPG.  Hopefully the minutes and scoring are an indication of big things to come from Green when the games actually start counting next week.

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The Red Sox will hold a press conference at 12:00 PM today to introduce their new skipper, former Blue Jays manager and Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell, to members of the Boston Media. While Farrell is an obvious upgrade from the recently relieved Bobby Valentine, the position he finds himself in isn’t exactly enviable. While it’s up to Ben Cherington and management to put the pieces together that this team requires in order to get back on top- and there’s a lot missing- it will be up to Farrell to avoid becoming the latest casualty of the train wreck that the Red Sox have become over the last two seasons.

Some are criticizing the Red Sox for passing on Brad Ausmus for a guy who hasn’t experienced a whole lot of success in his managerial career. Farrell posted an underwhelming record of 154-170 in his two years at the helm of the Toronto Blue Jays, and while Ausmus doesn’t have any managerial experience, many felt he was the perfect candidate for the vacancy left by Valentine on October 3rd. Farrell’s lack of success in the small baseball market of Toronto has people wondering how he will fare under the pressure that comes with playing and managing in Boston. But Farrell is familiar with the city of Boston and the culture that surrounds the region, as well as many of the players on the roster. He left the Red Sox as their pitching coach following the 2010 season to manage the Blue Jays. Under Farrell, the Red Sox lead the American League in strikeouts, opponents batting average, and shutouts, as well as finishing 3rd in ERA.

Many of the players on the Red Sox roster have voiced their support for the new skipper via twitter. Jon Lester tweeted out “Welcome back John!! Can’t wait to get back to work!!”. “He’s excited, I’m excited. We’re all excited.” said Second Baseman Dustin Pedroia of Farrell’s hiring. ”He has that instant respect when he walks into the room, because it’s leadership, and it’s going to be nice.”. David Ortiz didn’t sound quite as optimistic: “I don’t know if it’s fair for him to walk into this situation that we are in right now. Hopefully everything goes well and he can change things around. He’s up for the challenge and what he’s going to bring to the table. Hopefully everything goes great. I know things didn’t go the way he expected in Toronto and hopefully it works out for him here.” Ortiz said in an interview with NESN.

Now I’m not saying the Pats should be undefeated, I’m just pointing out that in the NFL there is a very slim difference between greatness and mediocrity.  Case in point: Last year the New York Giants were 6-6 in early December.  My sources tell me they won the Superbowl.  The year before that, through 7 games the eventual champion Green Bay Packers were 4-3, exactly what the Patriots are now.  Both of those teams entered the playoffs as the #6 (and last) seed in the NFC.  As long as you’re still in the hunt, it doesn’t matter how good you are now, just how well you play in late December and January.

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In most professional sports leagues, and specifically the NFL, a term is often thrown around as follows: “A win is a win.” However, contrary to popular belief, that’s not all a win can be. Today’s 29-26 over time victory over the New York Jets can be filed under any or all of these categories: Scary. Alarming. Sobering. While any kind of win is better than a loss, this marks the second straight week that the Patriots have blown a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter against a team that many people viewed as inferior entering the weekend. It also marks the fourth time this season that Tom Brady and the Patriots offense has been unable to sustain a game-ending drive with their four minute offense late in the fourth quarter. The other three times this occurred can be seen in the loss column.

Now, I understand that some people are going to take the stance that  a win is a win and that’s all that truly matters, and I agree. Partially. This win told as as much as any loss could have. The reality is, the Patriots won this game because the Jets defense is filled with 3rd team scrubs and because Mark Sanchez is a dope who doesn’t belong on any NFL roster. This defense is as porous as it gets in the NFL. The play calling is questionable, and you can’t trust the offense to step on the throat of their opponent in the closing minutes of a game. It happened in the Super Bowl, and it’s carried over to this season.  The farther we get into the fall, the more it seems like this team began the year VASTLY overrated. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe this is just a part of this team’s identity. Maybe this team can be like the Giants and flip a switch if they’re lucky enough to make the playoffs. But is it possible that we believed Tom Terrific and the greatness of this offense could make up for the defensive ineptitude shown by this team for the last few years? Were we false in believing that if we did?

The Pats face the Rams in London next week, followed by home games against the Bills, whom they slaughtered in Buffalo earlier this year, and the Colts, equipped with super star rookie Quarterback Andrew Luck. Thanksgiving night brings with it a road trip the New Jersey and Met Life Stadium to take on the very same New York Jets that they squeaked by today. New England then makes their way down the east coast to Miami to take on the Dolphins for the first time this season. While these all appear to be easy wins on the surface, so did the game last week in Seattle. These next few weeks will tell us a lot about these Patriots. Every team remaining on the schedule is weak, save for the 49ers and the Texans. The Patriots have made a habit of making mediocre quarterbacks look elite this season. That could be the case in any of these games. That, combined with the inability of the offense to put together a few first downs late in the game, worries me. By the time the fourth quarter of the season starts, and Houston comes to town, this team will have showed us if they’re for real, or if the bar was simply set too high. After today, I’m not feeling so optimistic.

“Peanuts” beats out all the rest in most categories.

This is a conversation I have revisited time and time again while sitting at Fenway Park, and it has a lot more layers than you might expect.  Here are several of the factors involved in no particular order:

Alcohol - This wins hands down.  No contest; the demand for it dwarfs everything else.  But it’s only sold at your seat in a select few locations, so it’s not really involved in the debate.

Weather - On a cold night in spring or fall the frozen lemonade guy gets destroyed by the hot chocolate and chowder vendors.

Weight - That pole of cotton candy looks significantly easier to carry than the giant tray full of Diet Cokes.

Assembly - Ever watch what they have to do in order to get a hot dog in your hands?  Set down the huge metal box full of warm water (see above category Weight), grab one out with the tongs, pull a bun from the bag, put it all together in wax paper, dig up a mustard packet, etc.  You can definitely distribute a lot more packages of crackerjacks in that same amount of time.

Flair - Not only do fans like a show, but they love to be involved as well.  This gives the peanut guy who throws the bag at you from half a section away a huge competitive advantage over his peers.

Price - I’m not talking about how much the product costs, but rather the specific denomination.  This is the real wild card here; probably one of the most influential factors, and one frequently overlooked.  Having spent a long time working behind a bar, I can say without hesitation that the exact amount charged can have a huge impact on the tips you receive.  I’ve got to assume $5 even is the worst price for a vendor, routinely leading to no tip.  $4.75 probably gets you a quarter most of the time, but often only a quarter.  $4 may get you a buck sometimes, but nothing other times.  My guess is $4.25 is the best option, netting you 75 cents nearly every time.  Even if the person buys two, you probably don’t do any worse than 50 cents.

Admittedly, these are just some theories of mine.  I suppose I could interview a real life vendor and get all the answers, but wouldn’t that take the fun out of the discussion?

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