Rounding up all the latest Red Sox news and notes in one post.

Who's the better closer - Jonathan Papelbon or J.J. Putz? ESPN's Jerry Crasnick gives the edge to Papelbon, and dubs him "baseball's answer to Napoleon Dynamite".

Sean Deveney of the Sporting News thinks that after a spectacular 2007, things can only go downhill for Jacoby Ellsbury. Jacoby doesn't sound worried- and his mom emailed Gordon Edes and sounds positively ecstatic about him staying in Boston:

I'm glad it's finally settled, and our boys (Jacoby, Clay, Jed) got to stay in Boston. Since the boys are staying, I wore my Red Sox shirt to work today. GO RED SOX.

Curt Schilling and his son Gehrig paid a visit this past Saturday to GameJam, a 38-hour design marathon for aspiring video game developers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Apparently Curt is a Packers fan- but young Gehrig sticks with the Patriots. Cute Schilling picture alert!

Kyle Snyder and Royce Clayton were set to golf in the celebrity Pro-Am event today as part of the FBR Open in Scottsdale Arizona- but heavy rains forced the cancellation of today's tourney. Others on the Pro-Am roster include Joe Buck, Tom Candiotti, Marshall Faulk, J.J. Hardy, Paul Konerko, Anthony Munoz and Bob Uecker.

Snyder and Clayton aren't the only ones with Arizona events on their schedule-- Manny Ramirez is going to be at the Super Bowl this Sunday as a guest of the Patriots. I can only hope he'll somehow gain sideline access, and hilarity will ensue.

And Patriots coach Bill Belichick is returning the favor - after the Super Bowl, he'll be headed to Florida for some fishing and to attend Red Sox spring training in Ft. Myers.

Daisuke Matsuzaka has definitely hit the big time. The Japan Post announced this week that Dice-K will be will be pictured on a set of ten different commemorative stamps, in honor of his debut in major league baseball and his victory in the 2007 World Series. " The stamps will bear 10 pictures including those showing the star pitcher posing at a press conference in December 2006 after joining the Red Sox, as well as an image when gaining his first win in a major league game and his club's victory parade after the World Series."

"An Evening with Terry Francona" reportedly went off without a hitch last night. The $100 per-plate fundraising reception and dinner for the University of Utah baseball program sold out of the 450 tickets available, as folks piled in to listen to Terry Francona's remarks to the group. Utah baseball coach Bill Kinneberg and Tito roomed together as baseball players at the University of Arizona, and Tito is the godfather of Kinneberg's son. Tito also spoke at the fundraiser after the Sox won in 2004 - so I say the Utes need to put him on the schedule every year if that means the Sox will win the title.

Craig Breslow is one smart cookie- this we already know. He graduated in 2002 from Yale with a B.A. in molecular biophysics and biochemistry... I'd say that qualifies as smart. But who knew Josh Beckett knew a thing or two about math, too? Breslow spoke to a group of eighth graders from Rogers Park Middle School this Monday, and told a story about helping back up Josh's math superiority in a bet with Doug Mirabelli:

[Breslow] later helped a friend, Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett, win a bet against catcher Doug Mirabelli. Breslow calculated how many times a baseball spins when it's thrown 90 miles an hour from the pitcher's mound to the home plate.

Tina Cervasio is out at NESN - but the Herald reports that there may be more to her departure than meets the eye. Tina's press release said her leaving was a mutual decision-- but Inside Track hears that Tina asked for more money than NESN wanted to pay.

And just because - a picture of Manny Delcarmen and his cute-as-a-button little baby.