A dozen reasons not to hate the rain

A rainy Labor Day Weekend (at least here in Greater Boston) is enough to make you hate the rain.

Don't hate the rain; listen to these 12 Great Rain Songs instead.

Know your "mid-period" Beach Boys: A 5-song primer

For most casual music fans of the 20something variety, the history of the Beach Boys is a 3-chapter saga that breaks down something like this:

1.  The candy-striped, surf & car-obsessed Beach Boys.

Mama don't let your babies grow up to be Bills (or Mets) fans

Sports shouldn’t matter. In the grand scheme of things the ending of a particular game or how one of my favorite teams performs shouldn’t affect me. I mean, I’m not the one getting paid. My future isn’t riding on this outcome. Hell, the chances that the result of a particular game changes my activities for the day is relatively small.

When I was little, I would rise and fall with every game. Every Mets and Bills game seemed so incredibly important. A win would equal euphoria. A loss would mean heartbreak.

As I’ve gotten older, I have been able to gain perspective. Every game doesn’t matter. Sure, I still get wrapped up in the occasional big game against a certain New England rival or a particularly big series with the team from the City of Brotherly Love, but I’ve been able to grow enough where it doesn’t seem like a matter of life and death. Sports are a form of entertainment. They are there for enjoyment and shouldn’t be taken so seriously that they become the focal point of somebody’s life.

#FlashbackFriday: Would-Be SI for Kids Masterpieces

I drew a lot of artwork back in the day with the idea of getting it published in the "Art Gallery" section of Sports Illustrated for Kids.  But I only finished some of it and, more notably, submitted none of it.

Why?  Because no one wants to stuff their masterpieces in an envelope and toss them in a mailbox, potentially never to be seen again.  And (of course) because I knew, if I stashed them away for a few decades instead, they'd eventually make a grade-A #FlashbackFriday blog post.

Good call, young self.  Good call.

The End of the World: One Fan's Story

I'm in New York for this.  On Long Island.  Just under an hour east of the Barclays Center in the sleepy hamlet of Bellmore, at my girlfriend's family's house, visiting for a long weekend.

The girlfriend is keeping the TV on E! until 12:00 on the dot, watching a Keeping Up with the Kardashians re-run.  Yes – one featuring Kris Humphries (gut punch no. 1).  When the time comes, we'll switch over to YES, since I'll be watching this unfold on the official network of the New York Yankees (gut punch no. 2).  The suspense builds with each minute as we approach high noon.

11:56... 11:57... 11:58... 11:59...

And we're in.

Four Guys Midsummer Madness

In honor of the 2013 MLB All-Star Game, Four Guys has cooked up a (admittedly half-baked) Midsummer Classic of our own.  Filling out all nine spots, plus a manager, we each assembled All-Star teams of our all-time favorite fictional characters from the big and small screen.  The only restrictions?

1. No more than one (1) athlete-character per team.
2. No more than one (1) "super hero" per team, defined as a character with supernatural powers (e.g., Bruce Wayne wouldn't fill the quota.)
3. No one gets Superman.  DQ'd on account of excess awesome.

Next, we each ranked each others' squads on a scale of 1-100 based not only on our All-Stars' abilities, talents and personalities, but also on the justification of our picks.  And finally, we averaged those peer scores and came up with a "winner" – who, of course, will receive home-field advantage at the Four Guys TV & Movie Character World Series.

Understand?  Good; we're still not sure we do either.  But we had fun with this anyways and we hope you do too...

The Best and Worst of the Alternate Jersey

One of the most emblematic features of professional sports is the jersey.  The spirit and essence of your team of choice is displayed in every stitch, every color scheme, and every numbering/lettering pattern of that team’s respective uniform.  As fans, the jersey is our way of connecting to the players.  It is the only situation where the professional and the lay fan stand united.  The jersey allows us to display our colors loudly and proudly.

Although sometimes a little too loudly.  A development in professional is the creation of the third or alternate jersey.  Most of the time, the alternate jersey is a refreshing option.  Whether it’s a playful take on the team’s traditional color scheme, celebrating the team’s history with a throwback option, or creating a retro/vintage look to commemorate those glory days of yesteryear, the alternate jersey invites the die-hard fan to have a little fun with their favorite team and injects a little joie de vivre in the pressure-filled world of sports.  Unfortunately, these alternates can go horribly wrong.  These third-option monstrosities make up some of the worst marketing decisions in sports.  Almost as bad as the decision to green-light Joey for NBC.  Because that worked out well for everyone.

So without any further ado, Four Guys brings you their picks for the best and worst of alternate jerseys from the four major sports leagues.

Just Another Cog in the Machine: Why NFL Arrests Won't Decrease After Aaron Hernandez

Super Bowl XLVII was played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on February 3, 2013. An important number coming out of that championship game is 33. No, that was not the final score of the game. That game ended in a thrilling 34-31 victory for the Baltimore Ravens. Rather, 33 is the number of professional football players who have been arrested since Coach John Harbaugh and Super Bowl MVP Joey Flacco hoisted up the Vince Lombardi trophy in victory.

Since that celebration, 33 athletes from the NFL have been arrested for crimes ranging from DUIs, drugs and weapons charges, child abuse, disorderly conduct, and most disturbingly, Aaron Hernandez’s recent arrest for the alleged murder of 27-year old Odin Lloyd. To say that these figures are shocking would be an understatement. To say that these figures are a surprise however would be ignorant.

Doing right by Francis Scott Key

In 1814, 35-year-old amateur poet Francis Scott Key composed a poem titled "Defence of Fort McHenry" (the eventual lyrics to "The Star-Spangled Banner") after witnessing the bombardment of said fort by the British Royal Navy.

In 2013, 20-something-year-old amateur bloggers Four Guys composed a blog post titled "Doing right by Francis Scott Key" in advance of grilling things and drinking things and watching fireworks.

Happy Fourth of July, folks!  Before you get on with your grilling and drinking and firework-watching, enjoy a few of our favorite renditions of our national anthem...

Taking my talents to Causeway Street?

After unloading Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn was immediately followed by chatter about preliminary talks of sending Rajon Rondo to Dallas, it's clear that winning will not be a high priority for my favorite basketball team next season.  The 2013-2014 Boston Celtics might as well stitch a ceremonial "Wiggins or Bust" patch on their jerseys, because it sure seems they'll be tanking like Michael Dukakis for the consensus no. 1 prospect in the draft next summer.

Which brings me to my point.  This is my moment.  Now is the time for my childhood dreams of donning Celtic green to come true.  I can help the cause.  (An explanation via video follows the jump.)

O what a night

Wow.  I have been an NBA fan for as long as I can remember and I can guarantee I have never seen a night like last night (15 trades!!!!).  It’s going to take a few weeks for me to catch my breath so discussing everything that happened would take far too long (and no one needs that on a Friday afternoon).  So what I decided to do was pick out three teams I thought drafted well and three teams that I think have to be questioned.

I'm also staying away from the blockbuster Nets-Celtics trade from last night in this post.

(Frankly, I need more time to figure out my thoughts on the trade.  However, I am happy Danny Ainge took my advice from earlier this week!  If you need somebody to help you out in the front office, I’m available, Danny.  Just wanted to let you know.)

An open letter to Danny Ainge

Last night, I sat down and wrote a letter to Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge about the current state of my favorite team.  Since then, things have gotten a bit cray cray, and the message of my missive (presented after the jump) has become all the more relevant.  -Dave

Starting from the bottom

Starting over.

Some people love it, others can’t handle it.  All of us have to do it at one point or another, and yet so few people truly embrace it.

Starting over is scary.  I get it, but sometimes it can be the best thing for you.  Whether it’s in a personal relationship, a job or a new home, starting over gives you a blank slate to work from.

Rebuilding is a word that gets thrown around a lot in sports.  Believe me, I know.  The Mets and Bills have been “rebuilding” for more or less my entire life.  Sometimes it seems the rebuilding process is a tunnel without a light at the end of it.

But it’s a phase every team needs to go through.

Talkin' 'bout their generation

If the Spurs beat the Heat in tonight's decisive game 7, Tim Duncan will add another NBA title to his long-solidified Springfield credentials.  It will come 14 years removed from his first title back in 1999, tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the longest span between rings earned in league history.  And it will also, as you may have heard, tie him with another Laker great in another category.

Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant will have five championships apiece.

A question with no answers

One disclaimer before we really get into this.  There will be no answer provided to this question because I honestly don’t know.  Nobody does.

That question is: Why don’t our sports evolve and change with the times? 

It’s coming folks and it’s coming soon.  An event will take place in one of our four major sports that we are not going to be able to ignore and this event will shift our entire sports landscape.  And I assure you this event will be tragic and something that far outreaches any Tim Tebow or MLB steroid story.

Falling in Love: June 14, 1994

You can’t explain love. Sure, you can rationalize reasons to explain all the extreme feelings that you have, but you can never truly explain the inexplicable connection that you have with someone or something. You can’t really make someone else understand the butterflies in your stomach, the excitement you get from being reunited after not seeing each other for a while or the feeling of pure bliss in a shared perfect moment.

I’ve been asked many times during my life why I love hockey and aside from giving clichéd answers about how great the game is, I can never verbally explain my relationship to the sport. I can, however, recount the moment that I fell head over heels in love with hockey and with the Broadway Blueshirts.

A Measure of Endurance: Stanley Cup Final Game One Chat

(Editor's Note: As two avid hockey fans, Paul and Scott try their best to catch as many televised games as possible, especially during the chase for Lord Stanley's Cup.  They are also known to text each other back and forth with their own little commentary of the game's action.  We here at Four Guys thought it would be best to help usher in the new blog with a nice in-game conversation for the opening night of the Stanley Cup Finals.  Little did we know they'd witness a historic triple-overtime game.  The following is that epic conversation.  Before you begin, Paul would like to mention how well he can tap into the mind of an NHL coach, with Joel Q seemingly responding to all of Paul's proposed adjustments to the Blackhawks strategy as the game progressed.  Never to be outdone, Scott would like the readers to pay careful attention to his suggestions for the pre-game "players to watch" and then, of course, his prediction for the overtime hero.)

Paul:  So Scottie, we are moments away from puck drop of the most glorious championship in professional sports...who do you have winning Lord Stanley's Cup?

 Sent at 8:06 PM on Wednesday

 Scott:  I can't wait.  This is going to be a great series.  I'm going Chicago in 6 (not totally confident in this by the way).  From what I gather, neither is Vegas.  The book is giving the 'Hawks a slight edge too.

 Paul:  That's funny since most media members, including the entire Puck Daddy staff, is picking the Bruins.

But, I'm right there with ya. I picked Chicago to win the Cup coming in the playoffs and nothing has changed my mind since. Hawks in six.

The Mets Hoist a Tin Cup...and That's Fine With Me

It’s hard not to get romantic about sports.

It is hard however to be a fan of the New York Mets.  The team’s woeful lineup rivals most minor league teams, the offensive numbers are practically anemic, the team’s promising first baseman, Ike Davis, has been sent down to Triple-A Las Vegas, and oh yeah, the team’s lackadaisical owners haven’t really spent much time talking to media at all this season nor have they shown the fans they actually care about their ball club.

Addicted to fiction

So this is kind of tough for me to write but it’s something I really need to get off my chest because frankly, I need help.

(Deep breath)

I have an addiction.  I know, I know.  Intense, right?  The only way I am going to get past this is with the help of others, so please help me if you can.  

So here it goes:  I, Kevin Dugan, am addicted to soccer transfer rumors.