Waiver Deadline

I wasn't planning on posting until after the NFL opener on Sept. 9th but since the MLB waiver trading deadline is tonight I thought it would be worth mentioning two trades that have hit the headlines. Last week, Manny Ramirez was placed on waivers and claimed about a day or so later by the Chicago White Sox. The move is good on both sides because the Chisox are in the middle of a division race and Manny's bat could provide some punch for what is an already better than average roster. I don't think they will catch the Twins in the AL Central however. Consider that the Twins have been one of, if not the best team in baseball since the All-Star break and Joe Mauer, the game's best catcher, has been on a tear hitting over .320 since the break. All of this is being done however without Justin Morneau, on what would seem a nearly annual basis.But you ask me, "What about the Wild Card?" Very true...what about that Wild Card. That ladies and gentlemen is reserved for one of the three teams fighting for 1st place in the AL East. The Yankees and Rays have been deadlocked for the division lead for seven days, a Major League record for this late in the season. And the Red Sox, who despite a massive number of injuries, have managed to stay alive in what would seem to be the most competitive division in baseball. I personally think that the Yankees will win anywhere from 100-105 games this year and win the division, with the Tampa Bay Rays winning the Wild Card.

Now we move to the "just end the season" New York Mets. About 20 or so minutes ago, the Mets traded Jeff Francoeur to the Texas Rangers for infielder Joaquin Arias. Lets get to the point here. Most Mets fans knew that this was going to be Jeff's last season with the Mets regardless of how he played the final month of the season. When I had heard about the Mets dealing Ryan Church to Atlanta for Jeff, I was happy about the trade. Church could play everyday in Atlanta and not have the scrutiny of New York to irk him. Jeff is very young and had a huge upside. The main problem for him is that he is a very anxious hitter. He almost always swings at the first pitch, and in most cases ends up striking out on three pitches. When he broke into the league, he was considered one of the best young hitters in the game, when teams got a scouting report on him, his numbers over the last few seasons have declined. This season Jeff started out as the Mets hottest hitter with an average of over .400 in the very early season. We all knew that it wasn't going to last but to get off to a red hot start could have been an indication of the season to come. However, the REAL indicator came in the 20 inning game on a Saturday night in April against the St. Louis Cardinals. Just about every Mets player who came to bat had a hit. Jeff went 0-7. It dropped his average to about the .350 mark, which by many standards is incredible, but it only turned out to be the inflated numbers of April. After that game, his season has never been the same.

Jeff seemed like a great clubhouse guy and seemed to like New York, but not producing in New York will get you the boot. Personally, I am happy for Jeff because he is now thrown into a pennant race with a division leader. If the Rangers hitting staff could get Jeff to stop swinging so early in the count, as in the first pitch, he could be a very dangerous hitter.

Good Luck Jeff

That Time of Year Again

The dog days of August. Training camp. It can only mean one thing...NFL Football. With the Giants coming off a tremendously disappointing 2009 season, they look to get back to the team of 2007. Even though, they won the Super Bowl that year, even as as Giants fan, I must admit they weren't the best team that year. But there was a certain swagger about them, a distinct confidence if you will. After the disgrace of a defensive performance that was given to us the fans, the team went out and signed veteran safety Antrel Rolle of the Arizona Cardinals and veteran linebacker Keith Bullock from the Tennessee Titans. However, after three preseason games, I am not the most confident fan out there. What I saw was about as unsightly and smelly as a dirty floor of a Baltimore crab house at the end of a busy Saturday night. Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens picked apart Perry Fewell's defense with a no-huddle offense in a 24-10 win over the Giants that wasn't as close as the final score. It was really easy to find those who did play well. Defensive end Justin Tuck and defensive tackle Rocky Bernard, who was starting in place of injured Chris Canty, had two sacks apiece. Cornerback Corey Webster had one interception and broke up three passes. Rookie punter Matt Dodge finally looks like he has settled into his role. He got plenty of work with nine punts, including one for 74 yards. Eli Manning looked rusty but my concerns are very limited because I know he will be out there week one like he has every single year.

Only time will tell us if the Giants are for real this season. Look to see if Victor Cruz lives up to the preseason hype.

Now, on to the Jets. With about two weeks until the season opener, Darrelle Revis is still

nowhere to be seen and today they were hit again. Outside linebacker Calvin Pace has a broken foot and must undergo surgery that will sideline him for four to six weeks. This is a big deal for the defense because this will now require Jason Taylor to step up and be an every down pass rusher. Physically, he is not up to the task. Taylor was brought to the Jets to be a situational pass rusher on the various blitz packages. With Pace out, and with no end in sight for the Revis contract situation, the Jets defense will have to blitz to get to the quarterback. However, without Revis locking down his side of the field, a short pass will negate any pressure. Without Revis, the Jets not only lose his shutdown ability, but also his incredible tackling ability. Right now the main concern for the Jets needs to be signing Revis and getting him out there ASAP. But the biggest issue on defense might be the head coach. Rex Ryan keeps saying that he is not concerned about the loss of Pace and the absence of Revis. He might be told by upper management to say these things, but there is no way in hell he can feel that way. Many teams can't take the loss of one star player, and lets not think about two. I do think Revis will sign but I don't think that it will before the season starts. Mark Sanchez looks good, but watch out for the sophomore slump. But I doubt his slump will be that bad considering he has Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery, two very skilled recievers to throw to. Not to mention Santonio Holmes, acquired by trade from the Steelers, in week five after serving his suspension.

The Jets are moving in the right direction but they do too much talking. There is nothing for them to base the trash talking on. Talk is cheap, play the game.

See you after the season opener on September 9th.

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Yes I know that this isn't opening week in football but so what. That said lets just get right into it. First, we break down Jets vs. Patriots.

The Jets are coming off of a solid win against the Texans. To be honest, I had a feeling that they would win that game, but not in the fashion that they did. The defense was solid and the rookie QB Mark Sanchez looked good. He did make some bad passes but they go unnoticed because only one of them was intercepted. I'm not saying that he is the next Joe Montana but Jets fans have something to be excited about for the first time in a long time. But it was the defense that really was the story for me. They put pressure on Matt Shaub all day and never let up, which was done without two of their best pass rushers in Calvin Pace and Shaun Ellis because of suspensions. The overall defense didn’t let up a single point either, yet another reason to be excited. But this week, the mighty Patriots come in to town and look to upset the good feelings that were built up since the NFL Draft back in April. As obvious as this sounds its true, this will be a much harder game to win. The Texans have really one legitimate receiver in Johnson and then the drop-off is massive, the Patriots have Randy Moss as the #1 but then Wes Welker to go to in the slot and is extremely dangerous in the open field. Ask the Giants secondary from the Super Bowl. The Bills confirmed what the Giants showed the world in Super Bowl XLII, if you can pressure Tom Brady, things can happen. However, in the blitz happy Ryan defense, that usually leaves a one-on-one downfield. This is where the lock down corner Darelle Revis will come into play. One week after shutting down Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson, is confident in his ability to duplicate that feat against New England Patriots star wide receiver Randy Moss. Keep in mind the Patriots have won eight straight when visiting the Jets since a 20-19 loss Sept. 11, 2000, during Belichick's first season at the helm. That streak continued with a 19-10 win Sept. 14 but New England lost 34-31 in overtime at home to New York on Nov. 13. The Patriots might be without linebacker Jerod Mayo, last season's team leader with 139 tackles, due to a knee injury suffered Monday. His status isn't quite clear as Belichick would only confirm the reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year won't miss the rest of the season. I’m picking the Patriots to win this game but not in blowout fashion. Something that will hold key to the game is how well Mark Sanchez will read the Belichick style defense. They never line up the same way and it can be very confusing to someone who has very little experience.

The Bottom Line: If the Jets can maintain constant pressure on Brady, I give them a shot to win, but Sanchez needs to have another mistake-free game.

The Pick: I’m taking the Patriots to win the game but not in blowout fashion because the Jets defense is good enough to keep it close. Patriots 27 – Jets 17

Now we move to the Giants vs. Cowboys.

If the New York Giants are going to spoil the regular season christening of Dallas’ new billion-dollar stadium, then Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw must bring their A-game. Both teams won last week’s season opener, but the Cowboys were gashed by Tampa Bay on the ground for 174 yards in the 34-21 victory. Carnell “Cadillac” Williams picked up 97 yards on only 13 carries while former Giants running back Derrick Ward gained another 62 yards on 12 attempts. Each scored a touchdown. If New York gets that kind of productivity and the defense plays as it did against Washington, we could see an upset in Big D. The G-Men have history against them, however. Dallas has won four of the last five meetings, and three of the last four in Dallas. The only Dallas loss however was the one that mattered most, the 2007 Divisional Playoff game. If the Giants are unable to get anything going on the ground, DeMarcus Ware and Co. will be able to pin their ears back and head right for Manning. Surprisingly, Dallas was unable to register a sack last week in Tampa after Ware led the NFL with 20 sacks a season ago. Tampa quarterback Byron Leftwich completed 61 percent of his passes and threw for 276 yards as the Buccaneers totaled 450 yards of offense. For Dallas, the recipe for success is eerily similar. The Cowboys have their own one-two punch in the backfield. Establishing Marion Barber and Felix Jones on the ground will open things up for Tony Romo. Dallas rushed for 118 yards against the Bucs, led by Barber, who had 79 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Romo enjoyed a superb opener, throwing for 353 yards and three touchdowns, including seven passes to Patrick Crayton and Roy Williams for a combined 221 yards. It’s clear that the Cowboys don’t miss Terrell Owens. Romo’s efforts this past Sunday made up for the lackluster defensive performance in the Sunshine State. While Dallas’ defense was underwhelming in victory, New York’s unit overwhelmed Jason Campbell and the Redskins. They held the Redskins to 272 yards, 85 rushing, and forced two turnovers with three sacks, including one and one-half by NFC defensive player of the week Justin Tuck. Defensive end Osi Umenyiora, back after missing last year with a knee injury added a sack and a forced fumble of Campbell. He then returned the fumble 37 yards for a score in the 23-17 win. Manning was not spectacular against Washington, but was efficient, going 20 of 29 for 256 yards with one touchdown and one interception, completing passes to seven different receivers. That kind of efficiency begins with pass protection and a solid running game. Both teams have basically the same strengths. It’s just a matter of which squad can establish the ground game early, pressure the quarterback, and create a turnover, something Dallas has struggled to do the last few years. The clubs have already begun the war of words, with Jacobs and Ware both saying they “hate” the other team. It would seem the passion on the field in this storied NFC East rivalry has finally caught up to the passion in the stands. The passionate ones in the seats could be the difference in this game, if Dallas can feed off its crowd in the home opener. The Giants will do all they can to silence the expected sell-out crowd. That could be easier to do with their 260-pound tailback on the field. With Jacobs in the lineup, this is a completely different Giants team, and New York just might be leaving Big D with a big W.

The Bottom Line: The Giants running game. If they can establish the run with Jacobs and then change pace with Bradshaw I can see a win for the Giants, if not it will be a long day for the offensive line and Eli Manning. The Giants defense also has to put pressure on Tony Romo. The Giants secondary is banged up and may not be able to keep up with Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton for very long.

The Pick: I’ll take the Giants in a modest scoring game. Defense will be there on both sides but since it is a divisional game, points will be put on the board. Giants 27 – Cowboys 21.

More of the same really...

So, I know I missed last week but hey, I'm only human.  Since I missed last week I'll give you two topics this week to make up for some lost ground.  First and foremost, if you are going to comment on this blog, please state who you are.  I am open to criticism, and I encourage it, but to give it under an anonymous alias is unfair.  Anyone can criticize anything without giving a name but it shows no backbone.  Now with that said, on to business.

Oh the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets.  It can never be easy for them.  I really am starting to wonder if they love their fans or not.  They sign a decent-to-very good offensive line, bring in Brett the Jet and get nowhere.  This off season, they bring in some very good players in Bart Scott and Justin Leonhard on defense.  Only this time, they really don't have a quarterback.  I know some fans are saying that the Jets don't need a star quarterback because the defense this year will be lock down.  Since that is the feeling, games MUST proceed as follows: running the football for the majority of the game and the defense will have to keep opponents to 14 points or less EVERY GAME.  There really are two glaring problems, the previously mentioned QB issue and a lack of a number one receiver.  I wasn't shocked when Laveranues Coles was released. Coles wants to be paid as a number one wide receiver and he simply isn't. His age has finally caught up to him and was not the same after Pennington was released by the Jets.  Since the Jets got rid of Coles, you would think they would pursue a free agent receiver and look very hard at Percy Harvin or Jeremy Maclin in the first round.  Just be warned that pro corners and safeties will not respect rookie receivers.  I also expect the Jets to try to extend the contracts of Leon Washington and Nick Mangold, who are both coming off pro-bowl years.   I would be very disappointed if the Jets drafted USC QB Mark Sanchez.  This kid made the biggest mistake of his life leaving USC and Pete Carroll.  He is one the greatest minds in college football and runs a pro offensive scheme on his team.  And FYI to all fans in need of a head coach(Cowboys) he will never leave the college system.  Sanchez should have stayed at least 2 more years, the reason behind him leaving is greed.  I don't want to hear that he wants to help a team win.  He wants his money and is skipping the college portion of his life.  I feel that he did not have the vision to see that he would have been king of USC for the entire time he was there.  In the NFL if you don't make a splash, you get criticized to on end and then cast aside.  

And finally, the Jay Cutler saga seems to me like it is coming to an end.  I never thought the Jets would trade for him for one simple reason.  They did not have the pieces to acquire him.  Also, I have a gut feeling that he is not cut out for the microscope that his New York.  Here in the limelight of limelights, every move is talked about every possible second.  It also seems that rookie head coach Josh Mcdaniels wants to now patch things up and Cutler has agreed to meet with him.  I felt that Cutler acted very immature and this would make him even more undesirable because the Jets coach, Rex Ryan, is also a rookie.  If Cutler thinks that if he cries enough about something, he will get his way.  From what I've seen from Ryan, it doesn't seem like he is the one to take anything.  I think Rex Ryan will do a good job but time will tell.

Now to switch gears, since we are in the dead zone of the sports year, I will fall victim to the new New York stadium chatter.  As we all know, there are two very nice new stadiums being built in The Bronx and Queens.  Also, the subject of ticket pricing has been a hot topic in the recent months.  What most fans fail to realize is that the Mets and Yankees have set their prices and they will not change.  The only way to make the tickets go down in price was to boycott them from the beginning.  It would be impossible for either team to lower prices now because it is not fair for the people who have bought tickets regardless of price.  The amount of class action lawsuits would circle around the block 15 times over.  We all know the prices are insane but it is still a business and they are there to make money.  No one has the gun to our heads to go to games.  We as fans have to make the conscious decision to choose to go or not.  With the season just 2 weeks away, there are still great seats at not so great prices available. Lets see how much they can sell.

I've been obsessed with Battlestar Galactica, so I'll be keeping myself busy with that.

Celebrate at you own risk...

Anyone who follows baseball remotely knows who Jose Reyes is.  And Met fans especially know his celebration tactics.  Sometimes it can be looked at as a great thing, others just tolerated.  But towards the end of last year, it was pretty much frowned upon.  

Now the question is, is this really bad for him and the team?  My answer is the kind that nobody likes but I think its good and bad.  I know most people want a one or the other answer, but this case is bigger than that.  Its a good thing because it is something that brings excitement to the game and to the team.  It can almost be seen as something that gives him his drive and what makes him go full speed.  Sometimes it is very entertaining to watch and makes the game of baseball fun.

And now for part two of the answer.  His celebrations can be possibly bad for the team and the game.  Reason being is that sometimes the dancing around is beyond the realm of good taste(sorry Mr. Pike).  Especially if the team is losing and he hits a home run, he dances in the dugout like he just saved the world.  I also believe that sometimes his celebrations motivate the other team.  To be honest, I really am surprised that someone hasn't thrown at him.  I don't in anyway condone intentionally hitting someone with the baseball, but the ultimate and easiest way for a pitcher to get even is to bean them with the ball.  I played baseball for almost 14 years, and I know when a pitcher wants you on the ground.  And I'm not the only one who feels this way about Reyes, just ask any Mets fan.

I don't want people to just stop celebrating achievements in the game but sometimes it's just unnecessary.  Like in football, after the running back gains 7 yards on a play and then is tackled, the linebacker gets up and starts doing a dance.  You're getting paid millions of dollars to play a game.  Just handle business and then when it really matters you can celebrate.  

And I know some people won't like this but I have to mention Joba Chamberlain.  He is also very emotional.  Like I said about Reyes, I don't mind it when it is in good taste and the moment means something.  Sometimes he comes off the mound after striking out a batter and it looks like he just struck out Mickey Mantle to win the World Series.  What he should be worried about is staying healthy and making his starts.  And can we please stop babying these pitchers.  The reason they have arm trouble is because they're only allowed to pitch on certain days with a certain number of pitches.  Give me a break. 

Well anyway, thats gonna do it... posted just before midnight...so it counts as Thursday!!

Better Late Than Never I Suppose...

Again, my apologies to my loyal fans but school last week was pretty busy.  As promised, a post on Sunday.  As I sit here watching Speed Pool on ESPN, I sit back and try to remember the last week in the sports world only to come to the conclusion that there were really only 2 things that were pretty serious.  Terrel Owens was cut from the Cowboys and about 3 days later he signs a one year deal with the Buffalo Bills.  For me, a Giants fan, first and foremost, I'm glad that he didn't sign with the team.  Yes, I know how good be his but I also know how much of a pain in the ass he his and what he can do to a locker room.  The Giants right now don't need anymore distractions.  I'd be perfectly happy is Plaxico stays out of jail and comes back.  The only problem is that its up to the legal system to help him out right now, so well see.  Second, the story with Johan Santana's pitching issues and evertything with his elbow was starting to get old.  One day he can pitch, next day he can't, he needs arm surgery, and now the latest is that hes fine and is actually ahead of schedule to pitch Opening Day.  This is actually great news but to be honest it gets annyoing when every other day the story changes and you don't know who to believe.  The problem is the media.  I really do hate the media sometimes.  Things are always blown out of proportion and its usually inaccurate.  Especially with ESPN, they are the most guilty of anyone.  But, whatever, the media is a part of the sports culture and to be honest sometimes, and the operative word here is sometimes, the media can keep things interesting but all I'm asking for is some conisitancy with the stories.  

Thats it really...a quick short post to keep this thing rolling...

Goodnight all.

I'm sure anyone in college will understand...

I'm terribly sorry to disappoint all 5 people who read this thing...but this week has been rather busy for me and I will issue a new post on Sunday evening...