Boston dumped two promising lefty's today. The Celtics shipped Al Jefferson (shoots left handed) to Minnesota in a blockbuster deal to get 10-time All-Star Kevin Garnett. And the Red Sox packaged southpaw Kason Gabbard to Texas for former Cy Young winner Eric Gagne. Neither franchise should look back.

Jefferson will eventually be an All-Star. Gabbard is 4-0 and has a promising career. But Al Jefferson is not a franchise player. And Gabbard was not one of the Sox top prospects. By that measure, given what each team (The Sox and C's) got in return, they made the right trades.

Garnett is more Larry Bird than Bill Russell. He's a big man who can shoot, rebound and pass.
What is not to love?

Gagne is not what he once was with the Dodgers---arguably the most dominant closer ever. But after two elbow surgeries and back surgery he is back to being very, very good.

Red Sox starters will feel like they're back... in Little League. 6 good innings is all that will be needed on most nights. Then baseball's best bullpen will take over: Manny Delcarmen, Mike Timlin, Gagne, Hidecki Okijima and Jonathon Papelbon.

The fact that Gagne is willing to accept a role as a setup man to Papelbon tells me he's serious about winning. And by trading away 5 players and two first rounders to get Garnett tells me that Danny Ainge is serious about winning too.

Gagne and Garnett--- it sounds like a French-American law firm. But in Boston, they could holds the key to winning for two proud franchises----one that is long overdue for success and one that can taste it again. Who would have thought 20 years ago that Boston's long suffering fans would root for the Celtics, not the Red Sox. Times have changed, and so too have the Celtics and Red Sox.

On one hand I am excited for Boston, and on the other hand I am not. Today, Boston may have just clinched the Atlantic Division in the NBA and the American League East division in baseball.

First, the good news (for me at least). It's official, Kevin Garnett is a Celtic and now Boston is a legitimate contender for an NBA title (and at the very least an Eastern Conference Championship contender). Now Danny Ainge did have to trade nearly the whole team that is not named Paul Pierce or Ray Allen, but the new Big 3 is going to be an unstoppable force. What will work great with this team is that they can almost always have 2 of the 3 super stars on the floor at all time.

The Celtics right now I believe are better than the Nets, Bulls, Cavs, and Heat. My gut tells me they are also better than the Pistons, but they still do have a lot of veteran experience that can play good defense. Let's hope that the Celtics get title number 17 and Ray Allen gets ring number 1.

As for the Red Sox, all I can say is WOW. Eric Gagne in the bullpen with Jonathan Papelbon and Hideki Okijima, I can't see them ever giving up a lead. Great job by Boston today, they probably just made sure the Yankees will not catch them in the East. This is a no-brainer move despite trading away Kason Gabbard. The Sox have so much young pitchers that they can afford to make this move and it shows they are hungry to win it all this year. Kevin made a good point today that the Sox can now be aggressive with Papelbon and use him for more than an inning if they have to because they could always gave Gagne close the next day.

Am I jealous of this move, absolutely! I would have loved having Gagne setup Mariano Rivera. It is hard for me to say it, but I think the Wild Card is the only way now for the Yanks. Two division titles in one day for Boston, not bad...oh and don't forget the Pats probably locked up the AFC East this winter with all their big moves. This may be a title year for Boston.

So much for building for the future. The future is now in Boston. Kevin Garnett may not be the next Larry Bird. And UConn legend Ray Allen may not be the next Dennis Johnson. They may be better, at least at this stage of their careers. Got your attention? Today's apparent Celtics trade for 10-time all-star Kevin Garnett sure got mine.

For the record, Larry Bird is my all-time favorite athlete. I watched nearly every game he played between 1979 and 1986. No one appreciates Larry Legend more than me. His "combination" of passing, shooting and rebounding skills were the best in the history of basketball. But have you seen Kevin Garnett play? Probably not.

Since Garnett left high school early for the NBA more than a decade ago, he's been stuck in the league's equivalent of Siberia---Minnesota. Hockey is to that state what the Red Sox are to Boston. As a result, Garnett's enormous talents have been largely under appreciated because he has played in the shadow of pucks and for a franchise that has never reached an NBA Finals. That should change in Boston. (***Side note to Red Sox Nation: before '04, and before the Sox became more hip than drinking Starbucks $4 coffee, the Celtics were once big. Very big! Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen makes them big again.

Now with Garnett (the trade is on the verge of being done), Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, the Celtics are instant contenders. Name a team in the NBA with three better players? I'm waiting. You can't.

Yes, the Celtics have needs to fill. But good luck stopping this trio. The last time three people looked this good together was the first season of Charley's Angels.

I would imagine Danny Ainge expects to be a little more visible now than Charley. Why not. I think his Celtics can reach the NBA Finals.

Now that I've exhaled and blood is again flowing to my brain, I realize Kevin Garnett will never be Larry Bird. Not to me at least. But Kevin Garnett blows Kevin McHale away. And someday, McHale will regret trading Garnett away. I hope it's next season---when/if the Celtics win championship number 17.

Right now it is Sunday night and Barry Bonds is still trailing Hank Aaron on the all-time home run list by one (he is idle at 754) and Alex Rodriguez is still sitting on 499 home runs. Besides the obvious, let me tell you why these milestone chases are annoying me.

Every time Bonds or A-Rod comes up to the plate, a ball boy brings the umpire a new set of balls to be used during that at bat. The balls are specially numbered and have a holographic logo on it. Then after the at bat, the ball boy comes back and takes away the special balls and replaces them with the regular ones. The reasoning is so MLB knows that the milestone HR ball is authentic when it is donated to the Baseball Hall of Fame (insert your own laughter here) or sold for a ridiculous amount of money.

It is so annoying though watching this happen for each and every at bat. Now I am sure it is the same for Bonds but I haven't seen all of his at bats like A-Rod, but they have been doing this for Rodriguez at bats since he hit his 495th HR. I have been wondering if this is even fair. I think that this practice would give the hitter a slight advantage because these balls are new and white. Now the average lifespan of a Major League baseball is only 6 or 7 pitches, but with this procedure, there is no chance that a pitcher gets a good feel of a specific ball.

What has been hysterical is when the new balls are put in play with one of them up with first base open, and it is so obvious that they are going to be intentionally walked. It is such a waste of time, and it is even more annoying hearing the broadcasters comment on it each and every time.

I hope A-Rod gets the HR soon. Since he hit number 499 on Wednesday, he has gone hitless! As for Bonds, if he stayed at 754 forever, that would be phenomenal...but it won't happen, but if it does happen this week, I look forward to seeing how the Los Angeles crowd treats his record as San Francisco is visiting there this week.

On a personal note, I would like to congratulate my good friends Charles and Erin who were just married yesterday. We had a blast, the food was delicious, and I'm glad that Eddie Money made the set list!

It's not easy being the son of Michael Jordan. Basketball is the easy part. It's all those prank calls you get. Prank calls? Who has Michael Jordan's number?

Well, I am not talking about THE Michael Jordan. I am referring to the other Michael Jordan. The one who played at Bates College (before the more famous MJ), wore number 23 and raised a son in Hartford who now hopes to make the NBA.

Jared Jordan is Michael's son. He grew up in Hartford, played high school ball at Kingswood-Oxford in West Hartford, led the nation in assists the last two seasons at Marist College and was drafted in the second round of last month's NBA draft by the L.A. Clippers.

Jared Jordan visited NBC 30 this week for an interview. He's really a grounded young guy. He's the first to admit that UConn and all of the other big time programs out there did not make a mistake by not recruiting him out of high school. Jordan says he has improved THAT much and that Marist turned out to be the perfect place for him to get lots of playing time and develop his skills.

His role model is two-time MVP Steve Nash. There's a shocker. Like the Sun's point guard, Jordan is the last guy you'd expect to take over a basketball game. If you passed him on the street, you'd never guess in a million years that he might be playing next winter in the League against Kobe, Lebron and Shaq. But when it comes to passing a basketball, he's a wizard.

Jordan began learning the game as a kid by playing at some of the toughest playgrounds in Hartford. He says it toughened him up. Whatever it did, it worked. After all, it is not easy being Michael Jordan's son.

Good luck Jared. I hope you make the NBA. I will root for the Clippers. I never thought I'd say that.

You can watch my interview with Jared Jordan this weekend on Sunday Sports Replay.

In many ways I am a control freak. I want things done a certain way. The right way. And I will work very hard to make sure I get the end result. Don't get me wrong. I love a good time. And I am the first to say it is important to celebrate life's big and little accomplishments, especially in light of today's stories.

I am just sick to my stomach thinking about what transpired in Cheshire at the Petit home. It is a tragedy of unthinkable proportions. My prayers go out to the family and to the community. Why was this seemingly perfect family a victim to ramdom, senseless violence? Why?

Jon Lester probably asked himself the same question. Why? He was cruising along in his rookie season with the Red Sox when he was diagnosed with cancer last August. It turned out to be a treatable form of lymphoma. But when you are a 23 year old professional athlete diagnosed with a potentially deadly disease it is devastating. Lester's return tonight in Cleveland is a wonderful story.

I am only mentioning the tragedy in Cheshire with the celebration of sorts in Cleveland because it illustrates the moral of my story. Control what you can. But always remember that there is a greater force in the universe controlling everything. Sometimes we are simply powerless. Sometimes life can be completely random. Sometimes life is not fair: Today in Cheshire it was downright cruel. Tonight in Cleveland it was uplifting.

I have to tell you that I am pretty happy for Padraig Harrington after winning the Open Championship today in Carnoustie, Scotland. Well that's a little bit of a lie. I am actually more happy that Sergio Garcia didn't win the Claret Jug. Ever since Garcia turned pro in 1999, I have just not liked the guy, and let me tell you why.

Is there a bigger complainer in golf (there might be, but I just seem to notice him complaining more). Garcia is always whining about something, or blaming his mistakes on something or someone else. Also, he takes FOREVER to line up and take a shot. To me El Nino (Garcia's nickname) has more power in his big mouth than in his golf bag, as he has still yet to win his first major championship and hasn't won a tournament in over two years.

Another reason I don't like Garcia (and honestly this may be the main reason!) are his ridiculous commercials for Michelob Ultra. Have you seen there? Sergio is playing the part of a secret agent (James Bond he is not) and he uses a golf tee as a dart to make a "kill" and then finally gets in to the party to have a beer with a fancy woman. She asks what took him so long and he replies "tough drive." This could not be any more corny and what is up with the goofy haircut they gave him. I can't even believe this cheesy acting made it onto television.

So when Garcia missed a chance to win the Open Championship outright today, I admit I was happy. I figured because of that missed putt, we wouldn't be subjected to another secret agent commercial from Michelob and Garcia.

Marty Carroll coached the Pink Lemonades soccer team in Glastonbury this Spring. You couldn't miss them. Yes, even Coach Marty wore pink. I liked it. It always made it easy to find my daughter Brynn and her team of six year-olds. But Coach Marty once wore another uniform; one that never leaves the fabric of the person. When a person is a Marine, they are a Marine for life.

So when Coach Marty asked me to help MC his first ever Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation Golf Tournament today at Wethersfield , it was an easy yes. Marty served our country as a Marine. His brother Matt served as a Marine. And their father Tom served as a Marine before them.

All three were there tonight; not to tell old war stories but I am sure they could. No, they were there to help raise college education money for the children of those Marines who didn't make it home. You may not agree with the war, but if you can't support a cause like this or at least respect it, you should move out of America....now.

General Paul Lefebvre was the guest of honor. General Lefebvre grew up in West Hartford and now is the Commanding General for the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parris Island, South Carolina. The General has a firm handshake and a firm grip on what is happening in Iraq. His view of the war is quite different of much of what we see on TV and read in the papers.

I've heard enough spin over the years to know genuine positive news from made up propaganda. I believe the General was honest and sincere when he talked about how certain parts of Iraq have been dramatically changed in the last two months. Changed for the better.
He told us of the incredible morale of the troops. And he even told us of 200 Marines who opted to go back for another tour...on their own!

All of this must have been bittersweet to Lou Johnson. His son Lance Corporal Phillip A. Johnson of Enfield was killed in Iraq last summer. He was only 19. Johnson always wanted to be a Marine. He served his country and made the ultimate sacrifice. How can we not support the Johnson family and others like them?

So the next time you are driving by a youth soccer game and you peer out to some middle age man coaching kids, remember this: Not everyone comes home to coach their kids.

So it's our job to make sure their service to OUR country was not in vain. To quote President Ronald Reagan, "Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But the Mariners don't have that problem."

See you next year at this great event.

I have been saying since the season started that Alex Rodriguez would opt out of his contract with the Yanks at the end of the year and move on. I still think its pretty obvious that he will forgo the final three years of his mega-contract, but I am starting to think that he will not be leaving New York.

To me, A-Rod has been nothing but a headache with his antics on and off the field, but let's be honest, without Rodriguez this year, the Yanks are roadkill. He just hit his 32nd homer tonight, and there is no reason to think that he will not give a run at Roger Maris' Yankee team record of 61 four-baggers. Here is why I think he will now be back in Pinstripes next year: the Red Sox.

The Red Sox have been so quiet with all the talk of A-Rod becoming a free agent. I know they can't talk about it because of tampering issues, but it just doesn't seem to get enough play. If A-Rod went to Boston he could return to shortstop, a position I am sure he misses and a position that the Sox have been desperate to fill since trading Nomar Garciaparra in 2004. The Sox have been very unlucky with Orlando Cabrera and Edgar Renteria (both of whom are having all-star years) who they tried and gave up on, but to steal the Yankees' number one offensive weapon and plug him in their line-up, that would just be scary.

It is because of this threat that I think the Yankees will bid very high to keep A-Rod's services in the Bronx, Brian Cashman has said that they won't get into a bidding war for him, but I do not believe him. Rodriguez has proven once again that all he cares about is the size of his contract, and he will most likely get his wish of over $30 million a year. I think it will be George Steinbrenner who will be signing his checks again to keep him out of Beantown.

All-Star week is traditionally one of the slowest of the year for local sports. But not in 2007.

Two Connecticut sports icons are in their home state this week. One athlete is wrapping up her brilliant career while the other is just beginning his. But U.S. World Cup soccer captain Kristine Lilly and aspiring Nextel Cup driver Joey Logano share one thing: Greatness.

I interviewed Lilly yesterday and found her to be as warm, smart, and self deprecating as she is brilliant with a soccer ball. There is nothing better than someone whose humility exceeds their talent.

Lilly, who leads team USA against Norway Saturday at Rentschler Field, could go down as the greatest women's soccer player in U.S. history. The pride of Wilton is first in games played and second in goals to Mia Hamm. It will be her record 5th World Cup in China in two months. I hope she helps the U.S. win.

I am not sure Lilly or David Beckham or anyone else can ever make soccer what football or baseball is in America. It usually just doesn't translate on tv. But my kids play it. And at a young age, it's a much easier sport to teach kids to play than say football. I already told my 6 year old daughter all about Kristine Lilly--a great role model.

Joey Logano may not be a role model yet, but give him time. He's already one of the best 17 year old drivers ever. And how often do we say anything positive about a 17 year old behind the wheel! Mark Martin called Logano the best 14 year old driver he's ever seen.

Logano dropped into NBC 30 today for an exclusive interview. I found him to be funny, smart, and very polished for 17. The pride of Middletown (he moved down south when he was 9) races at Thompson Saturday. He hopes to be racing on the Nextel Cup circuit perhaps as soon as the next few years.

Logano's got a few miles to go before he's a world class athlete like Lilly. But he told me he hates to lose and that is often the first prerequisite for greatness.

I am glad I got to talk to two of Connecticut's finest. For each, the best may be yet to come.

It feels so good to be at work today. I have spent the last 9 days working on a retaining wall at my house. 250 stones and a huge pile of rotten railroad ties later (I ripped them out---good times), it is amazing that I "retained" my services and "contained" my patience.

I am to home improvement projects what Bill Buckner is to the 1986 World Series: a big mistake waiting to happen.

It goes back to my college days when I was a plumber's assistant, check that, a plumber's worst nightmare. My career is about as legendary as Mario Mendoza's.

I spilled acid primer on a brand new linoleum floor, not once, but twice in the same day! A pipe once fell on my nose sending me to the hospital. And I once ran out of gas in a company car with a dollar to my name. I used that dollar for gas, but forgot to fill up the car when I took it home that night. And yes, on my way to work the next day, I ran out of gas again, this time with no money on me.

So I guess I picked the right career or at least not the wrong one. The bottom line to me is effort. What I lack in talent, I make up for with sweat equity. As I tell my kids, work hard and have fun. I'm just not sure how much fun this latest project has been for me.

As far as the end results of my retaining wall, ask me in about three years. It looks good right now. But so does the Celtics trade for Ray Allen. Retaining walls are like sports transactions. A few winters need to pass before we know if the deal or in my case the wall was a good one or bad one.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to finish writing the six o'clock sports. I find that much easier than building walls or installing toilets.

Zach Frazer could mean to UConn Football what Ray Allen meant to UConn hoops. The transfer quarterback from Notre Dame has that much potential. But first, let's start at the beginning.


Jim Calhoun always says that Chris Smith was the guy who got it going at UConn in terms of recruiting. He was a big time in-state recruit from Bridgeport who laid the foundation for future recruits. By that standard, Dan Orlovsky was the football program's Chris Smith. The pride of Shelton was Randy Edsall's first big name in-state recruit. And like Smith, Orlovsky put up huge numbers and put together the football program's early equivalent of a dream season with a win at the Motor City Bowl.

Chris Smith helped set the stage to get a player like Ray Allen. And now Dan Orlovsky's success has helped convince Zach Frazer that UConn is the perfect fit. Clearly, Randy Edsall's recruiting ties to central Pennsylvania and Coach Edsall's persistence were the biggest reasons Frazer chose UConn. But the 6'4 220 pound passer from Mechanicsburg, PA has a chance to really put UConn on the map even more than his predecessors. I think he will.

Well the Huskies got their man. As we reported last night, former Notre Dame back-up quarterback Zach Frazer has chosen UConn. This says a lot for the direction that the UConn football team is heading. This is a former high school All-American that was recruited by Charlie Weis at Notre Dame. This guy has to be an impact player and its just what the Huskies need.

Now I have never seen Frazer play, but in the limited practice video I have seen of him, he looks like a very solid and big quarterback with a strong stature. According to scout.com, he is supposed to have a cannon for an arm, but has "amazing touch on the deep ball." These are skills we haven't seen since Dan Orlovsky played his last game in the Motor City Bowl.

Kevin interviewed Frazer on WTIC Newstalk 1080 this afternoon, and he sounds like a really intelligent young man. He credited Randy Edsall's family oriented beliefs as one reason in choosing Storrs over Cincinnati and Rutgers. He also said it didn't hurt that Edsall is from central Pennsylvania (Frazer is from the town of Mechanicsburg, PA). This is great. Hopefully this becomes a trend that Edsall's ties to one of the top football states in the country can help in recruiting.

I have to think that if he was good enough to be recruited to play in South Bend, Indiana, then there is something special about him. We won't get to see him play at Rentschler Field until 2008 as he has to sit out a year for transferring, but we should expect him to be under center for 3 years for the Huskies.

Finally, we go from a QB who played in Indiana to an archaeologist named Indiana. I had the opportunity to go to New Haven this morning to watch some of the filming of the new Indiana Jones movie. It was like going through a time warp. There were all kinds of extras dressed in clothes from 1957. I got to see some old T-Birds, Studebakers, and Chevys. Indiana Jones himself, Harrison Ford was even there filming a car chase scene with director Steven Speilberg. "Raiders of the Lost Ark" is one of my all-time favorite movies and I know I just would have kicked myself if I missed this opportunity. Someday I'll be able to tell my daughter that she was there to see the filming of the movie but she was too busy eating her Cheerios in her stroller. If you get a chance this week to head down there to see New Haven in 1957, I highly recommend it.