At first glance, seeing the loop maneuver in this clip (30s) from Red Sox Opening Day at Fenway Park appears to be an impressive feat designed to wow the crowd.
In truth, it was an F-16 F-Up. The now-grounded-for-retraining pilot did it to slow down after zooming in to catch-up to the other F-16s in formation. The problem with the showy stunt? He was flying at an altitude too low for the maneuver (1,100 versus the 5,000 deemed appropriate).
And do you know who’s fault it is? Think about who was in the park to throw out the first pitch.
That’s right, we’re …read more

 . . . but apparently things have changed!
Earlier we mentioned Bill Buckner’s who-would-have-guessed-it-before-2004 return to Fenway Park yesterday. And, as this article mentions, Billy Boy was verklempt upon being received so kindly. But the article also highlights some of baseball’s greatest Buckner-esque gaffes. Check it out if you want to engage in schadenfreude (joy through other people’s misery) or relive the all-too-well-remembered pain, depending on your disposition. (Any guesses as to which category we belong?)
P.S. Thanks for sending this, Pat!

Opening Day observations that capture the “only in Boston” spirit:
1. You think Red Sox Nation was so blinded by the World Series ring ceremony as to overlook the team’s 3-4 record going into yesterday’s game? Hardly. In typical Sox fan fashion, many of us grumbled about how “they’d better win.” (Never mind their hectic schedule thus far!)
2. Fans were also complaining—as we do every year—about the 2:05p.m. start time for the opening game at Fenway Park. Hey Front Office, most of us have this thing called “work” at that time of day. (Luckily, most of us have this thing called “internet …read more