John Lackey to have Tommy John surgery

New Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said today that pitcher John Lackey will have Tommy John surgery and miss the 2012 season.
Lackey had elbow soreness during the season, and recently saw a specialist, Dr. Lewis Yocum.
"John Lackey will go ahead and have Tommy John surgery," Cherington said during the news conference at which he was introduced as the successor to Theo Epstein, who has left to become president of baseball operations for the Chicago Cubs.
"John Lackey pitched through circumstances this year that I don't think any of us can fully understand, and he got beat up for it along the way," said Cherington. "He was dealing with some stuff both on the field and off the field that were really difficult. I thought he showed tremendous toughness pitching through that. That game he pitched in New York at the end of the season where he helped us as we were grinding away for every win we could, I thought got overshadowed by how the season ended.
"He's really excited about the future. Certainly anxious about the surgery and getting that done and the rehab. He knows that he's a much better pitcher than what he showed in 2011. I believe he's going to be much better pitcher than what he showed. We look forward to having him as a part of the staff, likely in 2013."
Lackey was 12-12 in 2011 with a 6.41 ERA and 1.62 WHIP.
According to the Globe's Nick Cafardo: Lackey’s contract has a clause that states if the pitcher misses time because of Tommy John surgery on his elbow, the club has an option for a sixth year at the league minimum salary.

The Boxer Rebellion Release New Live Music Video

The Boxer Rebellion have released a new music video for the song 'The Runner'.
The music video was filmed and recorded at Shepherds' Bush Empire, and is designed as a present to fans, after the band were forced to cancel a string of shows after personal tragedy.
The band released the following statement:

"Thank you for all your recent words of support. We hope you can enjoy this video from our London show at Shepherds Bush Empire until we can meet on the road again. Nathan, Adam, Piers and Todd." 

The band have said they will be back on tour in December.

Clashes erupt as police destroy "Occupy Oakland" camp

OAKLAND, Calif. - Dozens of police in riot gear and hundreds of protesters in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement engaged in a game of cat-and-mouse in downtown Oakland on Tuesday, with authorities using tear gas to respond to demonstrators' repeated agitations.

The latest such skirmish came around 9:30 PDT as some protesters began throwing rocks among a crowd that had reconvened in front of City Hall, where a haze of chemical smoke still hung in the air following a similar clash about an hour earlier only blocks away. Police briefly dispersed a crowd heading back toward the downtown area where an Occupy Wall Street encampment was dismantled earlier in the day.

Helicopters scanned the area late Tuesday and scores of officers wearing helmets and carrying clubs patrolled the streets as protesters gathered only a few feet away.
Authorities are denying reports that they used flash bang canisters to help break up the crowd, saying the loud noises came from large firecrackers thrown at police by protesters.

Atlanta cops eject Wall Street protesters

City Hall has been the site of conflict throughout the day. Authorities used a pre-dawn raid to dismantle an Occupy Wall Street encampment that had taken over a plaza outside the government headquarters for more than two weeks. Police removed about 170 demonstrators who had been staying in the area overnight after repeatedly being warned that such a camp was illegal and they faced arrest by remaining. City officials said 97 people were arrested in the morning raid.
In less than an hour, the 2-week-old, miniature makeshift city was in ruins. Scattered across the plaza in front of City Hall were overturned tents, pillows, sleeping bags, yoga mats, tarps, backpacks, food wrappers and water bottles. Signs decrying corporations and police still hung from lampposts or lay on the ground.

Later Tuesday, hundreds of protesters gathered at a library and marched through downtown Oakland. They were met by police officers in riot gear, and several small skirmishes broke out.

The protesters eventually made their way back to City Hall for a game of cat-and-mouse as dusk approached. Police later threw flash bang canisters and fired more tear gas as the crowd dispersed up the street.

"It's really, really tense and I think the cops are trying to walk a fine line, but I don't think they are going to back down and neither are the demonstrators," said Cat Brooks, an organizer. "We're on the move. For now."