Monday, Monday

On the music front...

• With great anticipation for tomorrow night's show at the Bowery, here is a (very) brief and somewhat lame interview with Peter of Peter Bjorn and John from CUNY's Web site. The most revealing tidbit:


"It's hard to categorize PB&J's sound, but if I had to give it a shot, I would say if Depeche Mode hung out with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah this is what would emerge. Peter says that in terms of their musical influences, it is 'hard to just name a few names because we just like good songs. But if I would have to pick one name I'd say Velvet Underground.' "

There is also this story and some pics of a secret show last night in Brooklyn. Hopefully I'll have photos from tomorrow's show up on Wednesday morning.

And a flurry of Red Sox rumblings to report, but does it really mean anything?

• Schilling says he will play in 2008, but it is not clear yet for whom. "Where I'm going to play beyond 2007, I hope it's Boston, but I will go out and find a home to pitch,” he said. “I hope it's here but there's also that possibility [of pitching for another team]."

Do they teach athletes how to be vague? Although, he does go on the record saying he "couldn't" ever play for the Yankees. Hmmm...

• Todd Helton playing first base at Fenway - a good idea or a bad one? His power has dropped significantly (even at Coors) in the last two seasons and he has now become injury prone. Steroids? Probably not, but regardless, I don't like his big contract. Right now, he is putting up marginally better numbers than Mike Lowell. Why not just stick with Lowell in the 5-hole and let Drew bat second? If they do get him, I hope it is Manny Delcarmen they get rid of rather than Hansen, who, if properly developed, could be a solid closer.

In his blog today, ESPN's Buster Olney reports: "The Rockies apparently will make this trade if Manny Delcarmen is included. If Boston wants Helton -- and it seems that the Red Sox do want him, because they would be on the hook for about $50 million of the $90.1 million owed to him in salary over the next six seasons -- it's hard to imagine that they would let the inclusion of Delcarmen be the deal-breaker. Or maybe the Red Sox are reading the Rockies as being so desperate to get out from a lot of Helton's contract that they will eventually be willing to take anything for him. We'll see."

Also, Eric Karabell weighs in on the fantasy impact of a Helton trade, and if you have ESPN Insider, you can read it here.

• Quite Frankly, I am way beyond being tired of Roger Clemens, whose ego and notion of his self-importance has spiraled way out of control. In an interview with the Daily Texan, Clemens spouts off on how everyone must now bow to him in order for him to throw another pitch in the Majors.

My favorite quote: "If somebody makes a phone call, and I think I can do it again physically, I probably could. The only reason why I'd continued to play was because of my teammates calling me. Guys made the phone call to get me back out of the house to play."

So, Theo, Larry, John, et al, if you really want Clemens in a Sox uni this season, get on the horn! Start calling Eric Hinske! Start calling Jonathan Papelbon! get them to call the Rocket and kiss his fat ass enough to "get out of the house" and play. After all, Clemens, 44, "is one of baseball's hottest free agents" - even if he will only play for half a season.