US – Tuesday, March 16
My Books
The return from being a ‘Runaway’
Cherie Currie’s name may not be as immediately recognizable as Joan Jett’s, but with this week’s release of “The Runaways” movie —which stars Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning — a new generation is sure to learn at least one thing: Madonna wasn’t the first blond bombshell to don a corset while rocking the mic. Currie did it first.
 
New York Sports
Devils bust out early, beat Bruins
Clarkson's two points lead Devils to 3-0 first-period lead. Devils have chance at Atlantic division lead when they host Pittsburgh on Wednesday.
 
Boston
Cabbies, patrons fight over plastic
Pub crawlers rejoiced when city officials mandated credit card machines in all taxicabs last year, putting an end to late-night ATM visits. But as they try to pay with plastic, many riders report being told the machine is broken, only to find it magically fixed when the driver learns the customer’s last dollar bill went to the bartender.
 
My Wellbeing
Belly dancing: More than a hippie shake
Combining a cardio workout with mental relaxation, a typical one-hour belly-dancing class will strengthen and shape the body. Arina Djakova of the London Dance Academy tells Metro how to turn the dance into a full- body workout, from the shoulder shimmy to the snake arms.
 
New York Sports
Jets Lose more than a coin toss
It’s tempting to say only the Jets could sign a future Hall of Fame running back and leave everyone talking about the coin toss they lost. This isn’t the time, though, for a same joke about the Jets.

 
National
Edwards’ lover talks to magazine
John Edward’s mistress, Rielle Hunter, spoke for the first time about their scandalous relationship that resulted in a love child in a lengthy interview with GQ magazine that hits newsstands today. Some excerpts:
 
Boston Sports
No Dance, but they’re playing
Tommy Amaker was surely something just south of exhausted yesterday afternoon, but the Harvard men’s basketball coach was still smiling. 
 
Published 00:33, July the 1st, 2007
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Handing out Sox' midseason hardware

Baseball’s most cherished award is the centerpiece of a champagne-soaked clubhouse in October, and the prestigious individual honors are doled out a few weeks later. With your Red Sox approaching the midpoint, we figured now is a swell time to shell out some far-less-revered hardware of our own:

The “Little People, Big World” Award: To Dustin Pedroia, who entered his first full season with a ballpark full of skeptics after he hit an uninspiring .191 late last year. Pedroia got off to slow start this season, hitting .182 through May 1. But instead of listening to the WEEI nitwits who yowled that his playing time should go to Alex Cora, he did something else: He started hitting ... and he hasn’t stopped. The little guy with the big swing has been a revelation, batting .322 with an .850 OPS, all the while proving the frequent comparisons to ping-hitter David Eckstein had everything  to do with his diminutive stature and nothing to do with his superior offensive ability. We won’t underestimate him again.

The “Did You See That Catch Coco Made?” Award: To Wily ... nah, we kid. This one obviously goes to Coco Crisp, who has played center field with uncommon brilliance and athleticism.  Andruw Jones and Torii Hunter have the golden reputations, but we challenge you to find anyone playing the position as a well as Crisp.  Ellis Burks was the last Sox outfielder to win a Gold Glove — way back in 1990. Crisp deserves to end that drought this season

The “Tangled Up In Blue” Award: To David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis, neither of whom, in their minds, has ever taken a pitch that should be called a strike. Chill out, fellas. The umpires talk amongst themselves, and you’re both getting a reputation in their circles, which means the strike zone may be getting even larger if you don’t start keeping your opinions of their work to yourselves.

The “Upon Further Review” Award: To Josh Beckett, who has emerged as a bonafide ace in his second season in the American League with 11 wins, the most impressive of which was a 3-2 victory over Jake Peavy and the Padres last weekend. Sox fans spent the winter wondering if Beckett, who won 16 games but had a swollen 5.01 ERA  in his first Boston season, would ever pitch at a level commensurate with his immense ability. With Hanley Ramirez blossoming into a five-tool star with the Marlins while winning the 2006 NL Rookie of the Year award, it was natural to wonder if we’d long lament swapping him for Beckett. Now it looks like a good deal for both clubs. And, with Mike Lowell still thriving in Boston and Anibal Sanchez ailing in Florida, the scale may even be tilted the Sox’ way.

The “Even Mario Mendoza Mocks You” Award: To Julio Lugo, he of the $36 million contract and .191 batting average, including his ongoing 0-for-31 embarrassment. We’re not saying Lugo has been the worst free-agent signing in Sox history (hi there, Matt Young), but he’s been so atrocious that we’ve caught ourselves thinking that maybe Cesar Crespo wasn’t so bad.

Chad Finn is the founder of Touching All The Bases (touchingallthebases.blogspot.com), a blog that takes a passionate but irreverent look at Boston sports. A sports copy editor at the Boston Globe, he also writes a weekly baseball column for FOXSports.com.

 
 
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