Boo,hoo Barry

According to the latest story reported at the top of the news tonight and in articles like this one from the San Jose Mercury News, Barry Bonds has had enough. He predicts that he may not play at all this season. The 41-year old super slugger is recovering from knee surgery, but to hear him tell it, it was a bloodthirsty mob of reporters who must have chased him down and injured him. His life is over (or at least that's what I'm getting from his melodramatic metaphor), his career is done, his reputation is sullied — and it's all someone else's fault.

"Bonds pointed the finger at reporters, saying, "You wanted me to jump off a bridge - I finally did. You finally brought me and my family down. ... So now go pick a different person."

So "the Media" is blamed again. Bonds is just its latest victim. He is assuming no personal responsibility at all for his recent problems. Barry - it really sucks to get caught, doesn't it? But here's how it goes: the angel sits on one shoulder and the demon on the other and they both whisper in your ear. The one guy can't make any promises. The other guy offers you your wildest dreams fulfilled. So you make your choice - but there is a price to be paid, and it's always high. Your body, your record, your children's tears, Uncle Willie's opinion of you...

The big, bad "media" just tells the story. And it's a sad one for sure.

We Can't Handle the Truth

The real boys of summer are emerging from winter hibernation all across America, pounding their fists into stiff baseball gloves and asking dad to take them to the batting cages. Soon they will dot fields that are not yet green, laughing easily amidst the clink of aluminum and the smack of leather, creating a genuine American symphony. This is the sound we should pipe into outer space to explain America to anyone who might be listening.

The sound that came from last week's hearings on steroid use in baseball was quite different. That sound--voices of denial, self-importance, and sadness— was not about baseball, but a cacophony of distortion. This act has been in the making for some time, since steroids first became part of baseball’s tapestry, as unbreakable records were broken and re-broken. It grew on the fuel of rumor and tell-all books, but it still needed the grandiosity of ponderous government types to reach it’s final, absurd culmination.

The fraternity of baseball closed ranks last week — basically telling America that they did not inhale. This is really all you need to know. Sure, there was manufactured earnestness and tears, but we should not misunderstand: a "Keep Out" sign went up on the locker room of America's pastime. The ballplayers called to testify before Congress abdicated accountability and claimed the high ground, above the law, with slithery lawyers whispering in their ear. The only thing the hearings lacked was Jack Nicholson screaming, “You can’t handle the truth!”

Mark McGwire, the liar formerly known as a baseball hero, was evidently counseled that a charade of integrity was better than the pain of honesty. He clung pathetically to a reputation of generosity that now means nothing, even held it up shamelessly as evidence of his nobility while his cracking voice belied the truth: he’d used steroids. The same pride and ego that drove him to thrust needles in his flesh was still there, just more thoughtful and empathetic in round eyeglasses. On the heels of the lesson delivered to the youth of America by the Giambi Doctrine — that money was more important than integrity— came the McGwire Corollary: one's place in history is more important than integrity too.

Mark McGwire wants to lead the charge against steroid abuse, and his punishment should be that he isn’t allowed to. Isn’t allowed near a high-school, a college, or a baseball field. Until Mark McGwire stops speaking in contradictions and owns whatever he has done, he lacks the credibility to be part of the solution.

And there was Curt Schilling, who provided a jaw-dropping exhibition in succumbing to peer pressure. The man who glibly told Sports Illustrated that steroid use was so rampant that he couldn’t pat teammates on the behind without inflicting pain suddenly spoke like a man who had been re-programmed. “I grossly over-stated it,” he said, as if his previous comments were the result of an abduction by aliens to a steroid-abusing planet.

Then, in an effort to redeem himself among ballplayers for his brief and tragic lapse of honesty, he took pot shots at Jose Canseco, the true Judas. Curt Schilling had a brilliant opportunity to finally deliver on the image he’s been trying to cram down our throats for years. Yet, when push came to shove, he lacked the spine to do it.

The avoidance of accountability by men in expensive suits went on all afternoon. It would have been bad enough that the ballplayers flatly denied the allegations. But why the need to induce retching with feigned empathy and unkeepable promises?

And what about the fans? You only need to listen briefly to sports radio, or read sports message boards, to understand that much of the public is the co-dependent partner in baseball’s denial problem. We pay high prices to sustain high salaries, have high expectations and demand high performance. Perhaps we really can’t handle the truth, because it’s somewhat of our own making.

This drama will be sustained. Rules will be re-written, allegations made, more hearings held. TV Movies will be made. Men and women will rise up to speak in large groups, look into cameras as cameras whir and whiz, and tell us what they think. And the boys of summer will watch, listen and learn.

Read more from Potfry on his personal blog site.

Juicy Testimony?

I'm going to have to watch John Stewart tonight before I can digest today's events in Washington properly. Some random thoughts: What's with the crying, Mark McGwire? Crying is the entitlement of the parents of the boys who died from using steroids. Also - can Canseco possibly get any more repugnant? He's put himself out there as the "Juiced" king, and now, while his book is a bestseller, he says he changes his mind, and now he thinks that, yes, maybe steroids are cheating. And - does anyone else smell a future political career for Curt Schilling? Is this whole thing just a way for him to appear on TV looking smart in a nice suit, with a backdrop of the Congressional halls, playing the role of the squeaky-clean good guy? And, hmmmm, will these hearings actually lead to any significant changes in MLB policy? We'll see.

Anyway - here's some links to tomorrow's headlines:
New York Times

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Voice of America

And, just for fun: If you're considering trying steroids, here's the National Institute on Drug Abuse report featuring all the kinky and unpleasant side effects.

Damon a Yankee? Just say no, George

Editor's Note: We welcome a new contributor to YankeesSuck.com. Potfry's loyalties ARE with the dark side, but we're First Amendment people, here — and this topic is one about which Sox and Yankee fans can heartily agree...)

Dear Mr. Steinbrenner:

I don’t typically write letters to famous people. They usually don’t get answered, or the police show up at my house, go through my drawers, and remind me of the restraining order handed down after my unfortunate Barbra Streisand incident.

Anyway, I read this morning in the Newark Star Ledger that you are talking about signing Johnny Damon next year if the Red Sox don’t extend his contract.

Time out.

I can certainly see the attraction in Damon. There aren’t a lot of good centerfielders on the market, Bernie’s in his twilight years, and the Yanks could use a classic lead-off hitter, because, well, we’ve been deprived long enough. But the best reason for signing Damon is the impact it would have on Boston, right? Johnny Damon, the self-styled “idiot,” hero of the 2004 ALCS, a Yankee. I bet you’d pay just about anything to see the look on John Henry’s face when Damon takes his first spin in the Yankee barber chair, eh? Then imagine the photo session: you and Johnny, both in crisp white turtlenecks. It creates a naughty tingly feeling, doesn’t it?

Well, I’ve had an epiphany, Mr. Steinbrenner. I’ve been struck down on the proverbial road to Damascus. It’s time to stop the madness.

Whatever happens this year, do not sign Johnny Damon.

It’s been a great run, these past 8 years. 4 World Series Championships, the playoffs every year, epic battles with the Red Sox. It’s been a veritable smorgasbord of baseball success, and we thank you. Last year was a bit, um, painful, but with the help of time, some good doctors, and copious amounts of happy pills, we’ve gotten over it. In fact, just last week in group session I had a break-through: I wrote “World Champion Boston Red Sox” without the violent shuddering and nausea.

But enough about me. You have been willing to spend freely, incurring the wrath of most of the country in the process, who apparently believe that the Yankees should not use all their resources to try and win. Yankee fans, in turn, have vigorously defended your free agent splurges as a manifestation of free market economics. The very back bone of democracy. To not spend would be almost communist.

But here’s the thing. If success in baseball is measured by championships, your return on investment for the past four years has declined significantly. This is not to say that we believe it is our God-given right to win the World Series every year (despite what they say in Boston). But it’s hard to not compare the last four years with the four that preceded them (1996-2000). Sales are down, acquisitions are up, and the shareholders are getting restless. It’s time to stop buying everything that ain’t nailed down.

But it runs deeper than dollars, George. It’s about standards. Remember that time at the 1981 World Series you, ah, fought with the two guys in the elevator to protect New York’s good name? The best fight no one ever saw? I don’t think the George Steinbrenner who rearranged the dental work on those two thugs would have signed Johnny Damon.

I was able to get used to Roger Clemens. It took time, but eventually, he seemed to fit in. But times have changed. The rivalry, always a living, breathing thing, is now a seething, vile boil of hot, rancid pus. Put Johnny Damon on the Yankees, and you take that away from us.

You see George, there is a line, and you don’t cross it, even if it means you might lose. Johnny Damon is that line. Nothing against the little troll, mind you. If you can get past the self-absorption, I’m sure he’s a delightful, well-mannered young man. He plays centerfield like a gazelle, hits homeruns, and steals bases.

But let him do it in Boston, or someplace else. We’ve got a guy. His name is Bubba Crosby, and he deserves a shot at being the next centerfielder of the New York Yankees.

While you’ve been fighting evil and courting free agents, Crosby’s been running into walls in an effort to get noticed. He’s not a “can’t-miss-kid”, which makes him work even harder. He’s a slightly older rookie, who’s pretty much ready to die for a chance to play for the Yankees. Let him be your fifth outfielder this year, get some more swings under his belt. And then next year, let him play. He’ll be much cheaper than Damon, the fans will love him, and his nothing-to-lose style will inspire the veterans around him.

I’ll say this now: I’d rather lose with Bubba Crosby than win with Johnny Damon.

The universe has its order, George. Don’t mess with it. Johnny Damon is not a Yankee.

It’s the way things ought to be.

Read more from Potfry on his personal blog site.

Send In The Clowns

Mr. Bonds ISN"T going to Washington this week. He wasn't invited to the Government Reform Committee hearings on steroids in Baseball because, well, after all, Congressmen Davis and Waxman don't want to make these hearings into a witch hunt, or a circus - or anything else that might get a lot of sensational news coverage a la the Canseco book. Nah...wouldn't want that. Wouldn't be prudent. This is serious U.S. government business. (Wait - I think that last phrase is an oxymoron.)

"Now we have come to this moment in baseball history, where a congressional hearing about drugs in baseball begins two weeks before Opening Day. And we will begin to see whether Congress is sincerely interested in how we got to this moment, or just getting headlines." says Mike Lupica this week in his NY Daily News column.

Scott Grey, Sports commentator for WTIC radio in Hartford predicted this scenario: "Selig will show up and tell congress they have a drug testing plan, where before they had none. He'll talk about positive tests being down. He'll talk about penalties for first offenses. He's got a litany of good news for congress. What Selig won't say is the new plan has about as much teeth as none, with the players union still calling most of the shots and a laundry list of drugs the testing doesn't take into consideration and, as long as the union has it's way, never will. He won't mention that positive testing is down because, with the players setting the parameters, by their own admission, it's nothing more than an I.Q. test. You'd have to be an idiot to fail, even if you are still rubbing something into your belly designed to enhance your performance on the field. Selig won't mention, in conjunction with that penalty for first offenses, that if offenders are publicly identified, which one would assume would be part of that penalty, the testing policy is voided. Selig will leave out the part about turning a blind eye to the steroid use that was beefing up his game in the late nineties, and beefing up the turnstiles at a time when fans were ready to turn away for good..."

Grey's entire commentary is worth a read. WTIC is the news/talk station of record in Connecticut's capital city. Down the road a piece, in the small but affluent community of Madison, six high school jocks have been arrested for possesion of a controlled substance with intent to sell. Read about it in The Hartford Courant. We're not talking a six-pack, here. We're talking steroids. We're not talking MLB here. We're talking your typical stupid high school kids.

Cheating in sports is now mainstream, admired, rewarded ($$ga-zillion contracts) and perfectly acceptable. So is a "win at any cost" attitude. Just don't get caught — you might have to make a vague apology. Good luck to Reps. Davis and Waxman with this one. Let's see what comes of these hearings - besides the entertaining moments of the next news cycle.

"Better than Yankees" League Sign Up

All right late-birds, here's your chance to sign up for Fantasy Baseball. YankeesSuck.com brings you the ultimate fantasy league (again) on Yahoo! With the success of Joe Davis' "Just Juicin'" league, we've created another for those who wish to participate. This league, called "We're Better Than the Yankees" is lead by blogger Derek Bunker and, this time, there are a few twists.

This league is a MONSTER. If you sign up, you will be competing with 19 other people (that's right, 20 teams), so design your draft accordingly.

Read On For More Info and Instructions for Sign-up.

Also in this league are a few new statistical factors that you will have to take into account (for example, K's for batters and Shutouts for pitchers). All the original statistics will also count (BA, HR, ERA, etc). The league is Rotisserie-style.

So if you want to sign up for our upgraded, updated Fantasy Baseball League, here are the instructions:

1.Sign up for a Yahoo! Account

2.Go to this website:
http://baseball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/

3.Click "Join Existing Custom League"

4.Click "Join Custom League"

5.Enter the ID# and Password.
The ID # is 206853
The password is yankeessuck.

6.Create your personal team.

7.Email me, Derek, at derekbunker@yankeessuck.com with
your email address, name, and preferred time of draft.

The draft day is set for Friday, March 18 at 6 pm EST. This can be changed, so if this date doesn't work for the majority of the participants, then I will change
it to a more convenient time. But remember that if you are not present at draft day you will still be given a team. For your information, the league name
is "We're Better Than The Yankees"

If you have anymore questions, email me. Sign up and good luck!

"Just Juicin League Draft Tonight

YankeesSuck.com “Just Juicin’” Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball league is now full. I, Joe Davis, am the league commissioner of this league. (Don’t worry readers, I’m not like Bud Selig. Throughout the season, my job is to approve or disapprove of trades.)

This Saturday, March 12th 2005, there will be a fantasy draft. Yahoo! will generate a random draft order and at 10:30 PM EST sharp, the draft will begin. The season will begin Sunday April 3rd, when who else starts the season, those Damn Yankees and the World Series Champion Red Sox.

The following are participating in this year’s “Just Juicin’” YankeesSuck.com fantasy baseball league:

OrtizUseSteroidsToo- Very original I must say, because we all know David Ortiz looks bloated and is OBVIOUSLY on steroids.

Damon’s Disciples- Obviously a Red Sox fan, and a member of the Johnny Damon fan club.

Ender

NH-RdSxFn- A New Hampshire Red Sox Fan.

BooneAndBoston- Most likely a Yankee fan who can’t quite get over 2003. News flash: You didn’t win the World Series.

YankHaterator- A Yankee Hater

Boston Sluggers- A person who realizes the Red Sox have the best back to back threats for homeruns in the majors, with David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.

NYGal2- She’s a girl from New York. She loves Derek Jeter very much.

Braves of Hotlanta- A Yankee hater from Atlanta. He’s still interested in the former Braves who had Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz in their starting rotation.

BoSox- A Red Sox fan.

JCacho

JoeDavis5 - Yours truly, Diehard Red Sox fan and Blogger at YankeesSuck.com

As you can see, just like in any rivalry, fantasy baseball has a lot of of trash talking.

Standings will be posted in the future. We will be announcing prizes for League champions. A page dedicated to special news and notes from the Fantasy Baseball league is "under construction" on the YankeesSuck.com Web site and will be launched as we get closer to Opening Day.

Good luck to everyone who entered! GET READY TO PLAY BALL!

Boston fans... Got Juice?

Have Red Sox fans lost their edge? Are they bored, uninspired — or even more shocking — have they lost their hatred for the evil Yankees? Although the first meeting between the Yankees and World Champion Red Sox was wildly hyped, there were plenty of cheap tickets available to watch the Yankees exact revenge in this spring-training practice game by a score of 9-2.

Even the taunts directed at Jason Giambi were mild, with the cleverest sign reading “Got Juice?”. Maybe Giambi will trade in his Nike contract and sign up to be a spokesperson for Tropicana. Giambi silenced the chanters of “Steroids! Steroids!” with a home run to right center in the fifth inning. You would think the chant would have grown louder after the hit, but apparently not. What kind of Red Sox fans attended this game?

Giambi — apparently still on his contrite "I'm so sorry for - uh - something" tour — must have decided that he can buy back his fans, and he may be right. Although always open to signing autographs, Giambi is taking this to new heights as he spent a full half hour before the game signing anything pushed in front of him.

In honor of Giambi's writer's cramp, we’re starting a new contest. The winner will be the person who gets Giambi to sign the most unusual item. We'll let our readers vote. Photographic proof of the item will be needed to collect the "grand prize" — some merchandise from our online concessions stand. Send your entry to lefty@yankeessuck.com.

Click here for a story by George King of the New York Post story

Click here for a bat by bat Boo-Meter by Sam Bordon of the New York Daily News

Click here for a story by Tyler Kepner of the New York Times

Click here for a game recap by Chris Snow of the Boston Globe

Click here for a story by Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe

The 2005 Rivalry: Who's Hotter?

The 2004 season was the greatest in the Red Sox long history. This off- season, in my opinion, was also one of their greatest. If you break down the 2004 lineup (factoring in injuries) and the projected 2005 lineup, there is no doubt in my mind that the 2005 lineup will be better offensively, defensively, and pitching (in terms of statistics) than the 2004 Sox, even though it may not initially appear that way. But as we all know in Boston everything is not always what it appears. This may sound crazy to some people, but the projected 2005 Red Sox have as good a chance as any team to make it to the World Series. Even with the losses of Pedro, D Lowe and Nomar/Cabrera, the Red Sox have made the right moves to compensate. Have the Yankees made the right moves?

The Yankees only had two major losses: J. Vasquez and STEROIDS (you cannot overlook the effect that the steroid controversy will have on Giambi and Sheffield). This off season, like so many others, the Yankees added players whose contracts are comparative to the Devil Rays’ entire payroll. (That may be an exaggeration but it definitely seems that way.) The additions of Carl Pavano, Jaret Wright, Tony Womack, Tino Martinez, and the Big Unit appear to be moves that were suitable to the Yankees’ needs. Who really had the hotter stove and made the appropriate changes that will make them the better team in 2005? Here is my prophecy:

Red Sox v. Yankee Players in 2005

Catcher: J. Varitek v. J. Posada
Advantage: J. Varitek: Their stats are a wash, but Varitek has superior leadership qualities

1st Base: K. Millar v. T. Martinez
Advantage: T. Martinez: They are comparable offensively, but Millar is a defensive liability

2nd Base: M. Bellhorn v. T. Womack
Advantage: M. Bellhorn: Bellhorn is a better hitter and isn’t as bad defensively as everyone thinks

3rd Base:
B. Mueller v. A. Rodriguez
Advantage: A-Rod: A-Rod is a superior hitter and is a great defensive 3rd basemen

Shortstop: E. Renteria v. D. Jeter
Advantage: D. Jeter: Jeter has a slight edge in every offensive category. Renteria is a great fielder but Jeter can hold his own.

Left Field: M. Ramirez v. H. Matsui
Advantage: M. Ramirez: Manny is an incredible all-around hitter. He will have his moments in the field, but so will Matsui

Center Field: J. Damon v. B. Williams J.
Advantage: J. Damon: Damon is a slightly better in the field and at the plate

Right Field: T. Nixon v. G. Sheffield
Advantage: G. Sheffield: Sheffield is a 5-Tool player and T. Nixon is a great player but it is hard to compete with someone who’s likely on steroids

Designated Hitter: D. Ortiz v. J. Giambi D.
Advantage: Ortiz: Big Papi is a great power threat and Giambi hasn’t played well, consistently in the last season and a half.

Starter #1: C. Schilling v. R. Johnson
Advantage: C. Schilling: Schilling gets the nod because of his toughness and experience in a city where the fan and media pressure is indescribable.

Starter #2: D. Wells v. M. Mussina
Advanage: M. Mussina: Moose has better numbers and Boomer is injury prone.

Starter #3: M. Clement v. C. Pavano
Advantage: M. Clement: Clement knows the pressure to win from his time with the Cubs and Pavano could be a One-Year Wonder.

Starter #4: T. Wakefield v. J. Wright
Advantage: T. Wakefield: Wakefield is a proven pitcher that is durable and versatile. Even though Wright had better stats last season he could also be a One-Year Wonder

Starter #5: B. Arroyo K. v. Brown
Advantage: K. Brown: If healthy and still-a-Yankee, Brown could be a #1 pitcher when on his game. No one knows whether Arroyo can pitch consistently for an entire season.

Starter #6: W. Miller v. ?
The Yankees have no depth in the starting rotation but if W. Miller is healthy, then the Red Sox could be in great shape.

Setup #1: M. Mantei v. T. Gordon
Advantage: T. Gordon: Flash is a proven setup guy and has closer stuff.

Setup #2: M. Timlin v. P. Quantrill
Advantage: M. Timlin: Throws strikes and can get a big out when necessary.

Closer: K. Foulke M. v. Rivera
Advantage: M. Rivera: Hall of Fame closer that has faltered in recent years and is still one of the most dominant closers in the game

Primary Pinch Hitter: J. Payton v. R. Sierra
Advantage: R. Sierra: Sierra has more experience and is more consistent. Payton is a question mark off the bench.

Fantasy Baseball Begins

For the 2005 Season, YankeesSuck.com is introducing a custom Fantasy Baseball league hosted by Yahoo!. The league is free, so you don't have to worry about pesky league fees. I, Joe Davis, will be league commissioner for YankeesSuck League 1. Stay tuned, as we may start a second league if there is enough interest.

You will need to set up your free Yahoo.com Fantasy MLB Team. Continue reading for further instructions.

Join Joe Davis' YankeesSuck.com Fantasy Baseball League:

To get started with your own team, you must sign up for your free Yahoo! account at Yahoo.com (None of your personal information will be available to anyone at YankeesSuck.com. This is all for Yahoo purposes.)

1. Click on the Fantasy MLB icon or go to the Fantasy MLB page and in the middle of the page, click on the button that says "Get a team."  It will ask you to create a custom league or join an existing "custom" or "public" league.  

2. Click the "Join existing custom or public league" link. (If you have not signed up for a Yahoo account, you need to do so now to get your Yahoo ID#.)

3. On the next screen click on the link that says "Join Custom League."
It will ask you for a League ID# and password.

The league ID# is 42495
The password is 2004
 
After you enter both, it will ask you to name your team. Follow the instructions to customize your team.

When you are done entering the league, e-mail League Commissioner JoeDavis5@YankeesSuck.com with your Yahoo ID, your YankeesSuck.com Fantasy Team name, the date and time of the draft.

In the future, we will be announcing prizes for League champions. A page dedicated to special news and notes from the Fantasy Baseball league is "under construction" on the YankeesSuck.com Web site and will be launched as we get closer to Opening Day.

Good luck to everyone who enters! GET READY TO PLAY BALL!

NHL Buyout?

Editor's Note: Ok, we KNOW that this is a baseball blog, but this story is just so unusual, we had to bring it to your attention. If this deal should go through, we can only begin to speculate on the ramifications for other pro sports...

NHL owners, it’s time to put up or shut up. We’re all tired of the ridiculous way the unions and owners have made such a big fat mess of the NHL. The owners, who’ve claimed to lose a collective $500 million over the past two seasons, can now escape their losing ways and make an incredible profit. It is being reported now that an offer is on the table to buy the entire NHL for $3.5 billion. That’s $116 million per owner if split evenly. How can they refuse?

ESPN is reporting that a Boston-based investment firm and sports advisory company made an offer to the NHL this past Tuesday in New York.

The plan looks like an “as is” deal and would not require a settlement in the current NHL stalemate.

Click Here for the ESPN article.

Buyer's Remorse

Ahhhh, breathe deep, baseball fans. Can you smell it in the air?
It’s a sure sign of Spring – The Boss ain’t happy. According to articles in the Boston Herald, the New York Times, and New York Newsday, among many others, George Steinbrenner is "irked," "ticked" "fuming" "apoplectic" "angry" and "frustrated." He’s "erupting," and " dropping the F-Bomb." With February not even over, sports reporters were already reaching for the thesaurus to describe The Boss’ standard mood and behavior.

This time "superagent" Arn Tellem is in the crosshairs. Steinbrenner is probably just sick that the Yankees got sold a bad bill of goods when they signed Jason Giambi with a contract that was conveniently purged of the term "steroids." And now, after the poop has hit the public fan, Tellem is apparently advising Giambi, his client, not to admit to anything officially. George — in his own eloquent fashion — had this to say about the situation: "F--- the agent. He’s no good."

Who’s to blame? Well, everybody, really. Giambi did the steroids, lied about it, but continues to collect a very nice paycheck. Steinbrenner liked what steroids produced, ignored the legalities and is paying dearly for it. Tellem writes up slippery documents and gets a commission on everybody’s misery.

Yup, we can smell it alright.

Jon Heyman of New York Newsday sums up Steinbrenner’s ultimate buyer’s remorse in this insightful column.

The Boston Herald story

The New York Times story