By: Nicole Battaglia, YawkeyTalkies Correspondent

While the beginning of August usually means vacation time for most New Englanders, it marks the beginning of preseason practices for the Boston College Eagles football squad. 2009 was a solid year for the Maroon and Gold, going 8-5 and making an appearance in the Emerald Bowl against USC. As head coach Frank Spaziani heads into his second year with the program, the Eagles have a good chance to lock up the ACC Atlantic division.

Boston College’s biggest question mark heading into this season is All-American linebacker Mark Herzlich. Herzlich was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma in early 2009 and stayed sidelined for the entire season. He is now cancer-free and determined to make a comeback in 2010, but after a year without football, it is uncertain how he will respond. Considering he just beat cancer; you can assume he is going to approach his final season with BC with the same tenacity. If Herzlich can return to his sophomore year form, coupled with fellow All-American Luke Kuechly, the Eagles could have a very dangerous linebacking core. However, he’s already facing one setback with a stress fracture in his foot, but says he’ll be ready for the September [...]

By: Phil Shore, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
With the start of training camp comes the start of a new NFL season. It’s a bit cliché, but every team starts 0-0 and with optimism that they could pull everything together and win the Super Bowl.
Some teams can be more optimistic than others. The New England Patriots are one of them. The Patriots have the talent and organization to be set up to win now.
That said, they are far from a perfect squad. The team is undergoing a youth movement on the defensive side of the ball, have some early injury concerns, and still have some off-field business matters to take care of.
Here are some of the Patriots’ biggest questions that need to be answered for the team to have a successful season.
1. Who will start at cornerback opposite Leigh Bodden?
Leigh Bodden’s five interception season earned him a new contract with the Patriots, but who will the team partner with him?
The two leading candidates are second-year corner Darius Butler and first-round draft pick Devin McCourty.
Butler played in 14 games last season, registering 33 tackles and three interceptions, including returning one for a touchdown.
McCourty is extremely versatile and could play a big role on special [...]

Boston fans are all over the world. Sarah Lee Marks, former Bostonian and current Vegasian (I have NO IDEA what Las Vegas dwellers call themselves, but that just sounds weird), is excited to announce that Rondo is coming to town. As someone who lives in a sports city that’s known to be pretty lacking in sports culture, the USA Basketball Team’s arrival is a pretty big deal. However, not as big of a deal as Rondo, fighting for a spot. We all know he deserves it, just as much as he deserved that MVP this year, had those damn Lakers not won. (Yep, still not over it. Are you?)
Read her post here, (http://www.mycarlady.com/2010/07/18/celtics-rondo-to-las-vegas-for-team-usa/) and stay tuned for more coverage of training camp and possible photos.

By: Dan Podheiser, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
Theo Epstein became the general manager of the Red Sox in November 2002. Since then, he’s orchestrated two World Series champions, four other playoff teams and developed a plethora of unknown players into All-Stars.
Epstein’s track record has been pretty incredible for a guy who was hired as a 28 year-old, the youngest GM in the history of Major League Baseball.
His tenure as Red Sox GM has arguably been the best run in team history.
So, in lieu of the 2010 MLB All-Star Game, we here at Yawkey Talkies have decided to put our own spin on the midsummer classic.
It’s the “Theo All-Stars,” featuring the best players ever to put on a Red Sox uniform during Epstein’s career in Boston.
This is not just the best Red Sox players during that time. The players on this team are judged by their career stats, whether they played 20 years or 20 games with the Sox.
And I might as well say it now: Possible steroid use is not a factor.
Let the snub-talk begin!
Catcher – Victor Martinez
Martinez has been spectacular for the Red Sox since coming over in a trade last July, but he made his bones playing for Cleveland for [...]

As YawkeyTalkies Editor, I would like to endorse  the NETHERLANDS to win today’s world cup.
Also, did everyone hear about the porn stars promising free BJ’s to every one who follows them on twitter if Holland wins? Look her up, Bobbi Eden, and make sure you’re on the list…with about 110,000 other people. Now that’s a true supporter.

By: Jess Lander, YawkeyTalkies Editor
The 2010 FIFA World Cup kicks off tomorrow! If you’re not lucky enough to be going to watch it in South Africa (like me ) don’t worry because there are tons of great events and bars around Boston where you can watch the games. Also, this year the US actually stands a chance of doing well, so make sure you don’t miss this.
While any Irish Pub, Brazilian Cafe, North End Bar, or Sports Bar in general will likely be showing at least some games, here are some Boston favorites, ALL OVER BOSTON, that are sure to offer a positive World Cup viewing experience. Also, most of these are opening up at the crack of dawn for the early games.
House of Blues. Lansdowne, by Fenway. The House of Blues is having a World Cup Kick Off event on June 12. Sponsored by World Cup Boston, you can meet the New England Revolution players, probably some Boston Breakers players, and win free stuff. Opens at 10 am and goes all day for all the games (but the important one is US vs England). Apparently 2,000 people will be there.
Game On. Brookline Ave near Fenway. Opening at [...]

By: Phil Shore, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
Possibly the biggest news in the NFL recently has been that the 2014 Super Bowl will be played at New Meadowlands Stadium, the brand-new, $1.6 billion home of the New York Giants and Jets.
Not only did it make headlines because it will be played in the New York media market for the first time (the stadium is actually in East Rutherford, NJ), it also marks the first time the Super Bowl will be played outdoors in a cold weather city.
With New York having such a strong sports rivalry with Boston, Patriots fans were left saying, “Why not Gillette?”
While many—even Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft himself—agree that a Super Bowl in New York would be a special event, the Bostonians believe that if it’s successful they should be able to host it as well.
Quite frankly, though, it just is not a realistic expectation.
The first problem is the sheer size of the stadiums. Gillette has a large capacity of 68,756. However, the New Meadowlands seats nearly 14,000 more people. That results in a higher sold out crowd which means more money for the league.
As new stadiums are being built, more seats are being put in. Cowboys Stadium, which [...]