Nets Lose Again - Not The Story...

Surprisingly, the New Jersey Nets lost a game not played in New Jersey. The excellent road team lost to the superior Pistons; however, the Nets likely would have won had Vince Carter not gotten tossed in the second quarter (the Pistons were down 3 big players to injury).

It is rare to see a player as pissed off as VC was tonight. He got a tech for arguing an out of bounds call and quickly got a second one after the ref said something to Carter and the Vince responded with the following facial expression:



and some choice words. Players don't blow up like that unless the ref touches a nerve. I think this story may have legs because no one involved would talk after the game and the Nets complained to the media about how quick Carter got tossed after the game. Carter had to be held back after getting his second technical foul.

Yaros

BoSox Post Teixeira...

So, what are the Sox trying to do to compete with the Yankees this offseason? Answer: they made a move that may be the best of the offseason and are trying to trade for the best shortstop in baseball.

Whether the Red Sox should have traded for Josh Beckett and given up Hanley Ramirez is really not much of a debate considering the fact that Beckett led the team to a World Series ring; however, Ramirez was a costly chip to give up. Now they are trying to get him back. The Marlins are known for seemingly curious but also rather intelligent baseball op. decisions. My guess is that this deal won't happen.

Also, Brad Penny for 1 year and 5 million bucks is a steal. The guy was in the top 5 in Cy Young voting 2 years ago and had an injury plagued year in 2008. The guy can still pitch and at this price, he is just a flyer.

However, the fact that he signed for so cheap may worsen the market for players who are still free agents. I especially think the Manny market is running dry.

Yaros

Addressing Favre

I've been through the problems on defense already, and to sum up: the Jets have not had a big-play defense since the freaking sack exchange with Klecko and Gastineau twenty years ago. The defensive drafting has been atrocious and it has to change this year. I'm sick of a defense that is at best bend-don't break and at worst a cheap turnstile.
But now to the good stuff: the offense. This post will be devoted to our pro-bowl quarterback, Brett Favre. Holy crap do I hate this guy. There is no other way to say it: Brett Favre sabotaged the Jets' season. Somewhere in the second half of the year he put on a ski-mask, borrowed a gun or six from Plax, and robbed us of the season.
His play went beyond the merely absurdly awful and entered the realm of the profoundly incomprehensible. He was so bad I think he made Richard Todd and Browning Nagle cringe. The interceptions against the Dolphins were all utterly indefensible. Favre merely proved that he is no longer capable of making sound decisions with the football. All three picks were of the "what the #@^%?! variety. The attempted deep ball to Washington, the botched screen play, and then the truly critical quick-pick were not just ghastly thrown balls, but the results of s--t brained decision-making. And aside from the interceptions, he was inaccurate all day, throwing behind or short and missing wide-open receivers.
He led the league with 22 INTs, and he engineered a total meltdown. His offense scored 13 on the Raiders, 14 on the Niners, 3 on the Seahawks, and 17 on the Dolphins. His 56-yard TD to Cotchery in the 1st quarter of the first game was the longest pass of the season. Favre was anemic throwing the deep ball.
It is beyond me how the Jets could possibly be interested in having Favre come back for another season. Hey, Woody: people won't buy seats in the new stadium for Favre, they will buy them for a solid, exciting team. I hope the Jets don't set themselves back another year by bringing Favre back.
While I'm in full rant mode, let me take a moment to abuse Favre. This guy is one of the most overrated players in NFL history. He has done absolutely nothing for 10 years. He has more epic choke-games than possibly any QB in history. In his last 10 playoff games, he has thrown 18 picks. The 1999 divisional against St. Louis (6 INTs, 3 returned for TDs), the 2004 Divisional Game against Philly (blindly lobbing an overtime INT that led to the winning FG), and last years's NFC championship against the Giants (bonehead OT pick) are classic Favre choke-jobs. I admit that Favre was borderline spectacular in his first 6 years in the league. However, he has faded in a way that most truly great QBs don't. He has averaged over 20 INTs over the last 11 seasons. He has never thrown less than 13 picks in a season. He threw 29 picks in one season ('05), and he has never been super-accurate (career comp% under 62, 3 times under 60).
I'm just so sick of Favre. Just end the torture already and retire. Please.

New Coach?

The Jets are obviously looking for a new coach.

One thing to think about is that Brett Favre is incapable of learning a new system in a year.

That being the case, Brian Schottenheimer likely needs to remain the O coordinator if Favre comes back. Everyone who has been discussing this possibility thinks it will make for an awkward situation for the next head coach. The only man who it will not be awkward for would be ... Brian's papa - Marty!

Just something to think about???

Yaros

Mangini Out!

There were certainly positive things that Eric Mangini brings to the table. First, he is a very cerebral man who really knows the Xs and Os of football. Also, he runs a tight ship that does not allow for any players who misbehave.

Here are his problems. He rubs people the wrong way with his attitude that shrieks of "You are not worthy of knowing anything". He also lacks personality with the press. That same attitude likely touches the players and ticks them off as well.

He also makes some bad decisions when games are on the line and the rumors are that he could not delegate well. That attitude is precisely what his personality exudes. An "I know more than you attitude" doesn't always work well and Mangini has a thing or two to learn about managing people.

The Jets are a different animal. Brett Favre is no longer close to the same player he was. He makes idiotic decisions that look like he genuinely doesn't care about winning the game. I can't stand how much announcers love the guy. He is no longer good and needs to make better decisions. A good arm with no decision making capabilities is a worthless arm.

One more thing - FIRE BOB SUTTON!

Yaros

The Jets were who we should have thought they were

I wish I could just post a vitriolic, expletive-laced rant that the Jets really deserve. But I'll eschew that for a more in-depth analysis of what went wrong this season and what changes must be made for the Jets to be better heading into next season.
Mangini has been fired. Fine. I can't really question Woody Johnson for firing him after the Jets' collapse, Mangini was blamed disproportionately for the Jets' meltdown. I think Mangini was hamstrung greatly by the play of his quarterback. The best thing about the firing is that Sutton and Schottenheimer are gone.

The real problem (besides the Qb, which I'll get to) is that the Jets so obviously suffer from improper personnel. This is probably the fault of Mangini and GM Mike Tannenbaum (who should not escape from this unscathed and uncriticized). Mangini wanted to come to the Jets and implement the 3-4 defensive scheme that was run by Belichick in New England. He and Tannenbaum have had three years to implement this defense and find the right parts for it. Sadly, the Jets' 3-4 is a far cry from the Steelers' and the Ravens'. The problem here is not coaching, but personnel. The crux of the 3-4 defense, which is exemplified by the Steelers, Ravens and the Patriots (before the LBs got really old) is a front three that can occupy 4-5 offensive linemen on every play. The 3-4 linemen must be big, strong, and athletic enough to occupy two gaps of the O-line. If they can successfully do this, it frees up the LBs (the true playmakers in a 3-4) to get through the gaps and either stop the run or sack the quarterback (this is why James Harrison, Lamar Woodley, Ray Lewis and Mike Vrabel (before he got old) get the stats and the pub--because guys like Haloti Ngata and Vince Wilfork open up lanes for them to wreak havoc. It helps if the front three can create pressure by themselves and if the LBs can take on a lineman and win that battle every so often (which a star like Shawne Merriman can do at times). The Jets really have only one guy who should be a 3-4 linemen, and it's Kris Jenkins. He was unbelievable at blowing up run plays and collapsing the pocket while being double- and triple-teamed. And Jenkins, with no help, fizzled and was really ineffective down the stretch. But the DEs for the Jets, Shaun Ellis and Kenyon Coleman, are terrible. They are too small, weak and slow to play DE in the 3-4. They were pretty much invisible for the whole season. Sure, Ellis could pick up a sack every once in a while, but they were usually the result not of his dynamic play, but of solid coverage downfield and broken-down plays. Ellis and Coleman, and their back-ups, cannot even play the run well. In fact, the basic problem with the DEs is that they can be handled, and handled with minimal difficulty, by just one lineman. When this happens, Pace, Harris and Thomas will be picked up by TEs and OLs and they will not be able to shoot through to the QB. So the Jets, if they want to stay 3-4, must get DEs that are much stronger than the ones they have now.
The LBs are not terrible, but the Jets really need a big-play LB. Thomas, Harris and Pace are all adequate, but one of them has to develop into a destructive force. And all should work on pass-coverage. The NFL is a pass-happy league, and crossing patterns must be better defensed by the Jets LBs. Barton should be out. He's useless, and he's a complete idiot.
The secondary was shredded all year. I wish Rhodes could become like Reed and Polamalu, but never will be if he's stuck playing help defense 15-20 yards off the line of scrimmage. The fear of the deep ball is not irrational, but you cannot let it pervade your every defensive scheme. The Jets need better cover corners (though Revis and Lowery will both be better next season) but Rhodes should be given more chances to come to the line and play the run or blitz.

Jet Game Anticipation!

There is not anything positive to say about the Jets! They have royally screwed up their shot at the division and don't deserve anything more than a fired coach and a new system. If the Jets use the 4-3, wouldn't Kris Jenkins be alot more effective?

Moving on, if Bob Sutton doesn't get the whole "put pressure on the QB" thing this week, he deserves to be fired at half time!

I can't stand his passive style that has made a great defense in the first half of the year an embarrassment to society.

This game means nothing to the Jets if the Pats or Ravens don't lose; however, watching the game in Buffalo, with that windy weather, the game will surely be close. So you never know. It is so windy that the goalposts look like they are going to fall over.

Brett Favre can't throw those awful INTs and the Jets need to get Leon the ball.

Defensively, rush the QB! Please, I beg of you - blitz like you have nothing to lose...o wait, you don't!

I have no prediction; however, I expect the Jets to lose!

Yaros

Giants - Who Cares?

I can't say that anyone in Giant Land cares too much about this game. There is not that much to say. I expect the Giants to rest all injured players on the team; however, they will certainly play the healthy guys for at least 3 quarters because of the Indy Rule - The Colts did not win the big one until they learned to play out the season after clinching the division.

The Giants will win this game even though the Vikings have a lot more to play for. it is kind of sad, but I think the superiority of the Giants, along with the fumbling woes of AP and the drive the Giants have because they don't want to be flat in the playoffs will get it done.

Yaros

Classic Nets!

Get lost on the way to the Izod Center!

Hello?

Knock knock!! Are you aware that it is supposed to be your home arena?

Apparently not!

Let's see if the Nets can beat the lowly Bobcats away from Jersey!

Yaros

Two Remarkable Endings!

Here are 2 of the most remarkable endings to a game you will see in your lifetime. Enjoy!





Crazy!

Yaros

Lowe Potential...

The Mets are apparently in serious negotiations with Derek Lowe. This would seem to be another feather in the hat of New York in the general competition vs. Boston sports clubs. (In reality, the superior [check that - far superior] success of New England sports in embarrassing to New York City. Even the Bruins are very good this year!)

Lowe is a solid pitcher known for strong outings when they count most. The Red Sox had him in his younger years and the news was that there was mutual interest there; however, the Mets seem to be challenging that interest.

If this deal is complete, the Mets will surely not bother signing Oliver Perez. The market for Perez is probably dwindling because teams lack the confidence in his ability to pitch well consistently. The other cause to his depleting value is no interest by the Yankees. That alone seems to inflate value by a good $10 million for a pitcher of Perez's caliber.

Notes: The Yankees may still go after a legitimate player. There have been rumors that the Yankees are pulling back the 1 year $10 million offer that was a great deal for Pettitte to begin with. He apparently wants something closer to $16 million - an insane figure. If Pettitte wants to pitch next year - he is an idiot if he doesn't take the Yankee deal before they realize that Ben Sheets may come at a similar price!

Yaros

Teixeira Take -

Here is what I think of the Teixeira deal. One the one hand, I am elated because the Yankees now have another great hitter who only cost money (no prospects). On the other hand, this signing epitomizes the Yankee practice of trying to buy championships. Aside from the fact that buying players has shown that it does not work, even if the Yankees do win in 2009, there is a tinge of the absurdity of having a payroll nearly 1.5 times that of both World Series teams COMBINED last season. that carries through to a championship win.

All I'm saying is that buying the championship game will likely take away from a ring (in my mind). - In reality, I only say "LIKELY take away" because the buy all good free agents plan has yet to work well.

There are a few questions this raises:
-Will DJ be able to stay at SS longer because Teixeira will allow him to make more errant throws (that Teixeira will snag)? Does this close the door on Jeter moving to first at some point?

-Does Posada catch every day?

-Does Swisher join the gentleman in CF or take a seat on the bench without that shot at starting in center?

-Who bats thrid? Teixeira or A-rod? - my guess is MT.

-Will the Yankees also sign Manny?

Looks Like We Know What the Yankees Are Doing!

So, you were looking for a bat behind ARod? A good fielding corner infielder. Well, Tex is signed, according to Buster Olney.

Can Manny the Man be far behind?

The Steinbrenner boys have decided to give the Yankee Haters something to cheer them up. Why should the YH’s suffer through with mediocre Yankee teams hardly worth hating?

My phone is ringing off the hook… My son…My wife…One grandson…Soon the next one. Everybody’s excited. What a season we’re all looking forward to.

Happy Holidays!

Henry Frisch

NFL Hind Sight (Week 16 Edition)

Beware of Sean Ellis! Next time he can't get to the QB, he should do this...just wait for it!

-Starting with tonight's game, Kyle Orton is really bad! The Bears have 1 skill guy on offense who is good and 1 guy who is quick. That is it. Forte and Hester.

-At the end of next week's game, Favre should hand Chad his ticket to Hawaii at the handshake.

-When will teams learn that not showing up for week after week after clinching a division early burns you in the playoffs! (Note this Cardinals!)

oooo, wait! Did someone just say playoffs? That calls for...



-There is always the token "battle of the bads" game that literally no one can bare to watch. The Niners and Rams had the honor this week - although the Jet Seahawks game is the honorable mention!

-San Diego finally gets its shot to stop Ed Hochuli's hairline from receding significantly every week.

-Denver...you are no better than the Jets in terms of choke jobs!

-Thanks to 3 fumbles and a bit of bad luck (other teams won), the Vikings went from playing for a bye to potentially having a long vacation starting a week from today.

-The Eagles came within 8 inches of tying the game yesterday against the Redskins. It was reminisent of...


...the tackle that saved the Superbowl. In actuality, Reggie Brown was closer to the goal line yesterday.



That is all for this week, it sets up a fantastic Week 17!

Yaros

All About The Run Indeed!

The Giants and Panthers played a potentially critical game tonight in East Rutherford. My pregame was all about the running attack of each side.

Well, the Giants had 301 rushing yards and still barely made it out on top. I have to say that Derrick Ward was a level beyond impressive tonight. He did not just "change the pace"! I hate when Madden says that! (I'll rant about him later), he continuous ran all over the Panthers. 1 or 2 big runs in one thing, but to reach 215 yards on only 15 carries is special.

One last note on Ward, to add insult to injury for the Jets, the Jets drafted Ward in the 7th round of 2004 (finally, a decent pick!) and the Giants signed him off their practice squad!

Brandon Jacobs was solid today, but certainly not spectacular. The O line was very good (holding the fort for a split second would have been an improvement over last week). The passing attack misses Plaxico and CAN NOT replace him.

The defense was not very good. Granted Tuck was sick, but the pressure was just okay against the pass and 150+ yards and 4 TDs on the ground isn't very good.

Nicely done by the Giants, I am not so sure how much home field means (the Giants didn't need it last year), but hey, they earned it - so enjoy! The bye is much more valuable - that was earned with a Minnesota loss today.

Enjoy the playoffs - the Jets won't be there.

Here is my Madden rant:
Shut up! Stop it with all the obvious garbage that you repeat over and over and over again. Here is an example, "So, the Panthers had 9 guys in the box on that play. There were 8 guys in the box and then another 1 came in - that makes 9. (Show replay) See there is the 9th guy coming in. There were 8 in the box already and there he is another guy coming into the box - that makes 9". Madden - you have a pretty bus and EA Sports makes really good video games with your name on the cover, that doesn't give you the right to hear yourself speak ad infinitum on television!

Yaros

Giants Preview...

This game is all about the run. Running the ball, passing off the run and stopping the run.

That applies to both teams and whichever does it better will win.

I think that neither team is capable of offensively crushing another team so this will be close.

I expect the Giants to pull it out in the end because of their experience!

Prediction: Giants 17 Panthers 16

Yaros

Teams Seemed To Be Ticked At Scott Boras

Unless there is some team that made a huge offer to Mark Teixeira, it seems that the Red Sox and Angels - who both claim they are out of the Teixeira sweepstakes - are really agitated at Teixeira's agent. Boras is a royal pain who will lie until he is blue if it earns his client an extra dollar!

I can't wait for the day every team refuses to deal with him! I hope that day comes tomorrow!

Yaros

Dear New York Jets

Dear Mr. Mangini,
You are a fat, ugly penguin. I hope you chew so much gum your jaw falls off. You have coached a team into the utter abyss. You have been given three years to form a team in your image. You have succeeded, if your image is that of a fat, ugly, cocktail peanut-balls penguin. You should be fired.

Dear Mr. Favre,
Thank you Brett. Thank you for sucking so bad that I think, finally, you will have to retire because you are completely incapable of running an offense anymore. I hate you. Just get the hell out of my life. Oh, and Wrangler just lost one more customer.

Dear offensive and defensive coordinators,
Do us all a favor and resign. Mr. Sutton, you should retire. To an old age home, you senile bastard. Mr. Schottenheimer, it is clear that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. You have been such a failure that your father probably couldn't be prouder.

There is so much that the Jets did wrong in the past month, I can't even begin to start getting into specifics. It's just so frustrating and depressing. They handled my optimism in much the same way that Lenny handled mice. They soul-crushed us all.

Man-IDIOT!

Apologies for the lack of posts - I have the flu!

This is one of the most poorly coached games I have ever seen. Reggie Hodges is a poor punter - he could not pin the Seahawks inside the 10 all day. So not allowing Jay Feely to rekick the field goal he just easily made from only 5 yards further is absurd. There are a couple of reasons why. First, the footing was not an issue because the field goal was on a 5 yard marker. When that is the case, there is constant shoveling of the spot the field goal would be kicked from. Also, kickers usually miss field goals wide not short.

Then, punt the ball at the 20!!!!

It is laughable!

Mangini, enjoy the new job next year!

You are too young and cocky to be a head coach.

I would not be surprised if the Jets take the Josh McDaniels and Matt Cassel package this offseason!

I also think that throwing a 40 yard pass into double coverage (granted it was a well thrown ball) when the game is on the line at the 20 yard line on 4th and 4.

Yaros

Yankee Talk

Well, the Yankees called and I am now the possessor of 81 games directly above the plate in 420B (Check the view out at Yankees.com). Our seats are covered by the reinstated (1923) frieze atop the stadium. My partners and I have six seats there and will entertain offers for them for any games you may be interested in. We are putting the grand opening of the first Yankee season in the new park up for sale (since it occurs on a Jewish holy day April 18th when none of us may attend) as well as the rest of the season. Just write to hfrisch@gmail.com if you are interested.

The likelihood grows that, in addition to great pitching, the Yankees this season will have potent bats protecting ARod. Both Texeira and Manny are starting to come into focus as potential Yankee acquisitions. Wouldn’t that make for a Yankee hater’s nightmare?

Add Texeira’s defense to his impressive offensive presence and Manny’s (mainly DH) bat and it becomes plausible to carry Melky and/or Gardner in the Centerfield spot. The Yankees scored far fewer runs last year than in 2007 and certainly did not produce with runners in scoring position. Wouldn’t a season like 1998 be grand!

The only thing that could spoil this Yankee fan’s dream would be waking up and finding it hasn’t really happened.

Henry Frisch

Mandelbaum Hockey Report

Truth is we’ll never really know what actually went down in these negotiations between Sundin & Co. However we do know a few things:

1. Eklund (Hockeybuzz.com) is an idiot. He basicly brought rumor upon rumor of Sundin coming to NY. I now know not to believe anything he writes.

2. Sather got screwed by the huge contracts given to drury redden and rozsival(I like Gomez). Why would a 37 year old pull a favre only to play for pennies?

3. Sather tried trades to Columbus and Dallas to clear cap room. However, how could they deal their best offensive defenseman? One can argue that their problem is defense, but that is because their offense lacks persistency putting too much pressure on the defense.

4. Sundin will not win a cup this year. He picked the wrong conference to get there. At least in the east he would have a chance. SJ and Detroit are much better than Vancouver . It doesn’t help that luongo is not healthy this year.

Anyway, I hope this is not a chronic problem for Sather because Spezza, Gaborik, and Bowmeester are on the block.

AM

ALERT: Mats Sundin Picks The Canucks!

More To Come...

Stay Tuned!

NFL Hind Sight (Week 15 Edition)

As the season winds down, games are getting far more interesting and critical. The entire AFC is so top heavy that in all likelihood is that no team will be weaker than 11-5 who makes the playoffs. In fact, the Pats could finish 11-5 and not make the second season. Think about that for a second - any Pat fan would sign for 11-5 with Matt Cassel at QB, but to not make the playoffs would be rather frustrating considering the circumstances.

Moving on-

-The Jets need to learn to blitz more. If my count from upper tier was correct, there were 2 blitzes. The first was a corner blitz that failed and the second was on the fumble forced by Abram Elam. In reality, Bob Sutton, the Jets D' Coordinator, thought the Bills would run the ball, so I would not even count that as a pass rush. The Jets just got really lucky - NOW THEY HAVE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE!

-It appears as though the Skins no longer know how to win. If Portis has a bad game, the rest of the team doesn't bother showing up. There is also another interesting note about this game - it seems that there are a couple of former 3rd stringers who are currently starting and doing a pretty solid job. Matt Cassel is the prime example, however, Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Bengals and Tyler Thigpen of the Chiefs have both made serious strides and will probably start in future years (although Fitzpatrick will not get his shot in Cincy).

-Detroit has no shot of beating Drew Brees and winning in Green Bay is very unlikely, thus, it appears as though the Lions will make history.

-The Cardinals will be a good team to play in the first round of the playoffs because they have not played well since Week 11.

-The Giants can't run the ball without Brandon Jacobs and therefore need to sign him for big money.

-The Eagles deserve to make the playoffs with their last few wins. The week 17 game against Dallas may be for a spot. That tie will likely be a factor in the playoff race!

-Finally, Ed Hochuli's major screw up in an early game between the Broncos and Chargers in which the Broncos mistakenly won 39-38, will have major ramifications for the playoffs.



Yaros

Forget Cameron!

The Brewers have nixed the deal with the Yankees that would have traded Melky Cabrera to the Brew Crew for Mike Cameron. It is unclear what caused the nixing (if that is a word); however, it is likely that the Yankees refused to pay all of Cameron's bloated $10 million salary.

In reality, I don't really understand why the Yankees wanted to do this deal in the first place. How much better in Mike Cameron than Melky Cabrera?

The positives about Cameron are his additional power and a bit of added speed.

The aspects that are basically even is their batting averages (although Melky may bounce back to the .270s range he was at 2 years ago) and defense (I don't believe that Cameron is any better than Melky at this point - Melky has a canon and Cameron has clearly lost at least a step or two, he is not an elite CF anymore and Melky is more than serviceable.)

The negatives about Cameron come in bunches. First, the guy has missed less than 20 games in 1 season since his days prior to being a Met (2003) and last year he missed 40 games. Cameron also has serious strike out issues. The Yankees currently have a number of Mr. Strike Out guys on their roster. Nick Swisher strikes out like crazy, A-rod does the same and Matsui (if were to actually play a full season) would also strike out about 100 times at this point in his career. Xavier Nady also strike out around 100 times a year. All of this adds up to too many strikeouts.

The Yankees can deal with having Melky in the lineup if the rest of the line up hits. Furthermore, I expect that he will hit at least .260 this year with 12 homers and 75 RBIs.

He is clearly better than Brett Gardner and should be the starting CF. The only time things get complicated is if the Yankees sign Manny and have no spot for Damon. However, Damon in CF is a horrifying site. The 1 question that remains is whether Swisher will play CF if the Yankees sign Teixeira?

Note:

Interesting Stat from Baseball-reference.com-

Cnt Player ERA GS W-L% SO Year Age Tm
+----+-----------------+----+---+-----+---+----+---+---+
1 Ron Guidry 1.74 35 .893 248 1978 27 NYY
2 Lefty Gomez 2.33 34 .656 194 1937 28 NYY
3 Lefty Gomez 2.33 33 .839 158 1934 25 NYY
4 Whitey Ford 2.13 36 .739 172 1964 35 NYY
5 Andy Pettitte 2.88 35 .720 166 1997 25 NYY

This is the list of the top 5 seasons by a Yankee lefty in history. It is what CC has to shoot for!

Yaros

Nets Are Terrible At Home!

What a fantastic first quarter!

Giving up only 7 points in the first quarter and taking a 20 point lead at home would usually demoralize the opponent and mean an easy victory.

Unfortunately, the Nets don't have a home court. The Izod Center seems to have a leprechaun on the Nets rim.

The Nets will eventually learn how to play at home, but at that point the team may be in Brooklyn!

Yaros

Pro Bowl Picks!

First, why is this done so early?

Next, on to the actual picks...

-Brett Favre deserves to be watching the game from Mississippi as opposed to the side lines. He either made the game on reputation or made the game because he plays really well in that Wranglers Jeans commercial I see all the time.



-Intellegent and well deserved pick in Thomas Jones

-Kevin Mawae is starting over Nick Mangold (his Jets replacement) at center - I guess the Jets should not have thought he was done 3 years ago!

-Jeff Feagles is one old (and really good) punter!

-I guess there is no longer a need for Lawrence Tynes

-That CB on the Raiders finally got a spot - btw, he is by far the best cover corner in the league.

-Where the Texans right in picking Mario Williams over Reggie Bush?

-Jerry Porter is starting alongside James Harrison - his replacement on the Steelers

Yaros

Wolf A Good Fit For Mets...

Randy Wolf is available for a very reasonable price and the Mets should sign him as the fifth starter. He is a bit of a trickster who tries to get by with a weak fastball and off speed stuff - the colloquial name for such a guy is a "junk baller".

He manages to win games on a relatively consistent basis and all the Mets would expect is 11 or 12 wins - Wolf could handle that.

He is another lefty which is a good feature in any pitcher and his style is very different from Johan. Even if the Mets sign Oliver Perez, having 3 lefties, especially with the Phillies have a very lefty heavy line up, is a good idea.

Yaros

Back To Baseball...

The Yankees have a number of interesting things going on at the moment.

-for some reason (that was rhetorical because I actually know what it is - he has been a Yankee for many years) the Yankees are more interested in Pettitte than Ben Sheets. To say, O well Ben Sheets is always injured so they won't get that much value out of him. Excuse me, the Yankees won't get much value out of Pettitte from the outset.

-If the Yankees up the offer to Pettitte because of that other offer, I will be a very angry man!

-Apparently, the Yankees are considering playing Orlando Hudson in center fielder which would be a very interesting move. The major problem with the idea is that the Yankees have poor defensive corner outfielders and Hudson, considering that he has never played center field, is likely not a very good defensive outfielder. He is also injury prone and has missed at least 20 games in every year of his career except 1. On the other hand, Hudson is very successful hitting the ball when he actually plays.

-the Mets have not been doing much of anything in the market and seem to be satisfied with their 2 primary bullpen moves. Conceivably, the Mets could go out and get Manny later in the off season if the price drops a bit. The Bernard Madoff disaster - the crook stole $50 billion dollars - may have cost the Wilpon family and their co-owners $300,000,000. That insane amount of money may impact the Mets.

-the last item to discuss is the Teixeira sweepstakes. The Yankees still have a lot of money to spend (if last year's team salary is the limit) and Teixeira can be had with an 8 year $220 million dollar deal. He is better than Giambi and would cost just a bit more. Teixeira probably puts the Yankees further down on his list of teams than the Sox and Angels, but for the extra $20 million (assuming any of those teams offered $200 mil - which is what Jon Heyman expected) he would probably go to the Yankees.

Yaros

Syracuse Loses To The Vikings!

The Minnesota Vikings played a basketball game against #11 Syracuse tonight and actually won the game. Adrian Peterson led the team with 72 points and Jared Allen was kicked out of the game for a flagrant foul on the opening tip. The 2 Williams boys set vicious screens and are being termed the new latest set of impressive big men after Jerome James and Eddie Curry have fallen slightly from grace - only slightly.

Just Kidding!

How the hell did the Syracuse Orangemen lose to the Cleveland State Vikings. Are you kidding me? I don't care that it was on a last second buzzer beater, why is the game within 20 points?

The Orangemen should not make the NCAA Tournament solely due to this loss. it is probably the worst loss in team history and everyone associated with the metropolitan Syracuse area should be ashamed of themselves for rooting for a team that lost to freaken Cleveland State!

The Vikings have had 2 players play in the NBA - don't worry, it is no one you have ever heard of - and the last was drafted in 1982 and lasted 2 seasons. We are talking low level program! The last time Cleveland St. made it past the first round of the NIT was 20 years ago! I reiterate, are you kidding me!

Wow, so sad!

Yaros

Giant Gaps (In The O' Line)!

I genuinely don't know why the Giant offensive line was worse than awful this week - regardless of why, they forgot to block DeMarcus Ware and his compadres. Eli was on his back for a significant percentage of the second half!

There was a significant injury on the O line - Kareem McKenzie - however, to be that porous after 1 injury is embarrassing.

Even the declining Jets have become more cohesive on the O line as the season has gone on - perhaps the Giants' lack of depth at the line is the reason for the failure/exhaustion.

There are 2 players the Giants sorely needed last night - Brandon Jacobs - who will be back this week against Carolina, and of course, Plaxico. To say he doesn't matter is intellectually dishonest. Granted he causes trouble off the field, but there is no one to stop a defense from stuffing the box with 8 or 9 guys like the Eagles and Cowboys did.

Perhaps the Giants should consider welcoming Plaxico back (announcing in a huge PR scheme that the team has punished Plaxico sufficiently and will let the legal process run its course) for the playoffs. It would help the team on the field and the policy of football fans is "win and forget". There is no forgiveness, but if your a Jack*** and a winner, you could play for almost any team in the NFL - and if your a jack*** and you suck, you can play for the Bengals.

The Giants need to be very careful because they can easily end up the 1 seed or the 3 seed. If they lose out and the Vikings win this week, the Giants will be the 3, if the Giants win next week, they clinch the 1. The game against Dallas was not particularly important; however, the Giants need to build confidence this week in practice, because none was gained in Dallas.

Yaros

Jet MVP=Dick Jauron

Let me start it this way - if I were the Bills owner, I would have an interim head coach starting this morning.

The Jet game was my first game in the Meadowlands this year and boy was it exciting.

A couple of game notes:
-The Jets special teams was horrific. When I say that, it is an understatement. Reggie Hodges was awful - he had one "good" punt in which he got a very lucky roll. The coverage team was non-existent and Leon was not stellar. Just plain awful!

-The offense did not do anything in the second half. The game completely turned when Coles shoe got in the way of a dropped pass and caused on interception.

-The defense was bad as well. The D did make the big plays when they had to, but the bottom line is that the Jets need to get back to the way they were playing against the run or else the season will end after a week 17 loss to Miami - with Ronnie Brown rushing for nearly 200 yards and 3 scores.

-The Jets won one of the luckiest games I have ever seen. It is beyond me why, if Jauron did decide throw on second and 5 deep in their own end, did he not tell JP Losman that if the clock in his head moves beyond 3 seconds to chuck the ball into the upper tier of Giants Stadium (and Losman has the arm strength to do it)

The Jets will need to win both in Seattle and against Miami because the Patriots will probably win both of their games.

I have serious doubts about whether the Jets will win in Seattle and the blood pressure will rise considerably Sunday night of week 17 against Miami!



Quick Story About Drunk Girl:
I was sitting in row 15 of the upper tier and as I sat down I heard the slurry words of a piss drunk girl a row ahead of me. She had an irratating "Let's Go Buffalo" chant going (she was the only one chanting - but I don't think she was aware of that). Anyway, he boyfriend was constantly pulling her back into her seat. At one point, she tried sitting back down without pulling the seat out and fell flat on her butt. Then, after a brief moment, she stood up again for another chant and fell to the ground in the row in front of her. Moving on, she then had to go pee so she walked to the stairs - staggering - and engeniously walked upstairs instead of down. She asked someone how to exit and they said to turn around. She spun and absolutely flew down the steps. 20 minutes later, he BF went to look for her and apparently she passed out on the floor of the bathroom.

Sad but hilarious!

Yaros

Giant Preview!

For most of my life, I never understood the whole "Everyone who doesn't love the Cowboys must hate them", then I listened to a bunch of Cowboy fans who thought their team was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Here is the preview:


APPARENTLY DOES NOT APPLY ANYMORE!

After watching the above video, realize that TO has cried this week as well. However, he did not cry about his QB, he cried on Friday after Jason Witten kicked the crap out of him at practice. TO is a team destroying self obsessed player that no team should want.

That internal feud will enable the Giants to win the game tonight.

Furthermore, Tony Romo is terrible on December and if it is close will likely blow the game in the 4th quarter.

The Giants need to keep Romo in the pocket because he is best on the run. Pierce needs to keep his nose in Jason Witten's jersey and the Giants need to stop Marion Barber III. I fully expect the Giants to do all 3 things after getting mauled last week by the Eagles.

Offensively, the Giants don't have their top running back, so more draws and tosses will be called in the run. Eli will make plays when he has to and the Giants should win.

Prediction: Giants 20 Cowboys 17

Yaros

Baseball and Real Life

Jim Bunning was a brilliant pitcher. He pitched one no-hitter for the Tigers and a perfect game for the Phillies.

When I was young, I remember waiting outside the old Stadium (the original old Stadium) to get his autograph after a Yankees-Tigers game.

Yesterday Senator Bunning (R Kentucky), perhaps the least brilliant U.S. Senator of all time, was disinvited from an opportunity to pick up a few dollars signing at an autograph show. The show was in Detroit, a ghastly town about to become an absolute ghost village thanks to the non-leadership of Bunning’s Kentucky colleague Mitch (the Son of a ____) McConnell (R Kentucky) who leads the brain-dead Republicans in the Senate. Bunning voted against the auto bailout that might have saved a city he pitched for over a span of eight years from certain doom.

Baseball in the winter is dead. Spring brings rejuvenation for baseball and for life. It is then that batters begin the journey through the pasture that brings them home, scoring runs and successes. More than once Bunning had poetry and life in his right arm worthy of the poetry that baseball is. He was a leader on the field. Now his hand seems to have but one finger left, which he offers to Detroit, to the nation and to the world as we teeter on the edge of Great depression II.

Good for you Detroit. May that articulate middle finger of Bunning’s fall off before he inks another autograph.

UPDATE: JEROME JAMES FAN CLUB

I just discovered the unofficial Jerome James Fan Club!

Check It Out!

Yaros

Earning Your Keep - Jerome James Plays!

After not playing a second through the first 22 games of the season, late in game 23, Jerome James gracefully tore his sweat suit off, pumped up his Air Jordan sneakers and stepped out onto the floor. He was not out their to chest bump Al Harrington after a monster game or slap David Lee five after a great performance; rather, he was actually out there to be on the court while the game clock actually moved.

He certainly earned his keep last year as he made a whopping $21,167.88 per second on the court (that is $5.8 mil for 4:34 of game action). This year, there were fears within the league that James would be playing so much he would be able to sue the Knicks for not paying him enough. The fear was that James' minutes played divided into hours would equate to such a vast amount of time that even the many millions of dollars his contract was for would not equal minimum wage for the hours of work.

Turns out, that the agreement the Knicks reached was to not play him until the 23rd game of the season in order to eliminate any potential suit on James' behalf.

Well, congrats to Jerome on his first points of the season, but we all really know that he is in there for his defense, take a look:

HE IS THE ONE IN GREEN WHO TURNS AROUND AND WATCHES SHAQ!


IT TAKES TALENT TO LET A GUY 5 INCHES AND 85 POUNDS LIGHTER THAN YOU DO THAT!

Gotta love Isaiah Thomas and his brilliant signings!

Yaros

Nets Feel At Home On The Road...

The Nets have played far above expectations thus far this year and continue to play very well on the road.

The Nets are a very weak 4-7 at home, but have an above .500 record because they play very aggressively on the road. I think it demoralizes the Nets when they see there is no one in the building.

The other issue the Nets have is the 3rd quarter. The Nets are -70 in the third. That simply means that the team doesn't refocus well at half time.

The positives for the Nets have have been the play of Harris and Carter with a honorable mention for the improving young big men.

Harris and Carter are the highest scoring tandem in the NBA. Harris has caused tremendous defensive issues for every team the Nets have faced. He is too quick to defend and he can hit some of his open jumpers when teams back off. He is not very consistent with his shot, but he can hit it enough to be effective.

Carter has been superb this year. He is not as chuck happy as he has been in the past couple of years and may have been impacted by Richard Jefferson's establishment as a first tier scorer. He likely felt he needed to become a shooter to supplement the slashing of Jefferson. However, Carter is first a driver - who shoots from the outside when teams back off.

Brook Lopez has been a very nice addition to the team as he adds solid interior defense and a big body to the line up. He also has solid offensive skills that are not used enough in the offense. Yi (no one knows his last name, so Yi suffices) Can't (with a capital C) play defense; however, he can shoot the ball and has flashes of excellent offensive capability. The way I think the Nets should use him more effectively is through the pick and roll with Harris. He can pop and hit the elbow jumper with ease. Additionally, he can drive a little so he would make a very good candidate.

Care to comment?

Yaros

Is Burnett Worth $82.5 Mil?

The short answer is no! He only has 87 wins to his name and he has pitched in the majors for 10 years.

For an average of 8.7 wins a year, I would not give a guy close to $17 million a year. Additionally, because of the fact that Burnett gets injured on a regular bases, he only averages just over 21 starts a year. That means, on average, he will be making more than $500,000 a start!

Furthermore, is the guy going to be healthier when he is 36 than when he was 29? Of course not!

Yaros

So Much For Raul Ibanez in Queens!

For the first time ever, ESPN has found a deal before SI.com. I say we can now give a toast to the baseball guys at ESPN for not reporting BREAKING NEWS about 5 hours after everyone else has heard about it.

I hate when ESPN says things like, "sources tell ESPN that blah blah blah" when those sources are probably SI.com!

Moving on, so Raul Ibanez is officially not a Met. Minaya did say that he is sticking with his position players (unless they go after Manny - which would not surprise me), but, there were rumors to the contrary about Ibanez. The Phillies have grabbed him to replace Pat Burrell (who still has no team - note the last paragraph in the linked article).

He is a better hitter (with a bit less power) than Burrell, but he hits almost 40 points higher for his career. The only downside for the Phillies is that Pat The Bat is a righty and Raul is a lefty. This deal makes the Phillies vulnerable to a left handed starter (perhaps in the mold of a Johan Santana or Oliver Perez?)!

It is rough carrying 2 power hitters who hit .250 (Ryan Howard isn't going anywhere), so I think this is a good deal for the Phillies.


SHOULD HELP THE METS AGAINST THE PHILLIES NEXT YEAR!

Note: in a totally random Phiadelphia thought, I was watching the Flyers game last night in which they were losing 5-1 at the end of 2 periods. My roommate is a Flyer fan and I was making fun of him for how pathetic his team looked! Low and behold, I come back an hour later and he tells me they scored 4 goals in the third and won the game in a shoot out! How the hell did Carolina give up 4 goals in the third? Just pass the puck around!

Yaros

Jets Game Huge!

The Jets are in the middle/end of a skid that any Jets fan was not surprised would come. The bottom line is that every game from now on is do-or-die. A loss to a divisional team that has not scored a TD in 8 quarters would A) be an embarrassment (not that the last 2 losses were not) B) be murderous to the Jets' playoff chances.

Here is how I envision is going down...
-the Jets secondary will probably give up a ton of passing yards to a bad QB...again!
-the front 7 will stop the run...again!
-the offense will need to power rush...again!
-the Jets receivers need to find a way to get open...which they have not done!

The bottom line key for the Jets is - speed and will. Those 2 things are most important in 2 aspects of the game, getting open as a receiver and rushing the passer. Trent Edwards will not be playing on Sunday; therefore, JP Losman should have an absolute bull's eye on his back. Blitzes, stunts, bull rushes - anything and everything should be used to put the guy on the ground!



The wide outs just need to get open. The last 2 weeks have been rough and quite honestly, Thomas Jones has looked stellar - or "stella (silent R) in the words of Joe Benigno - it is the receivers that have made the offense stagnant.

I do expect the Jets to win this game simply based on the fact that the Bills offense is awful and that I will be at the game and a very unhappy gentleman if they lose!

Prediction: Jets 24 Bills 10

Yaros

Sundin Sweepstakes

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO EAT UP HOCKEY!

One thing is for sure: If the quest for Mats Sundin turns into a sweepstakes the Rangers are in trouble. The Rangers have absolutely no cap room. They would have to shed several million in payroll to make a legitimate offer.

One suggestion that has been tossed around is the possibility of moving Roszival. As far as I am concerned anyone on the last 2 lines can be traded, no untouchables. God knows this team needs scoring and although the Rangers are overloaded at center, they’ll figure that out later.

The front-runners remain the Canucks and Habs. Maybe one of the overpaid Rangers okays a paycut or restructuring. Maybe the Lunqvist connection reels him in.Well, when Christmas, the said deadline, rolls around we’ll know who got their present.

AM

Yankees Coming Close To Cameron Deal! Teixeira?

Apparently the Yankees didn't understand that it is absurd to ask the poorer Brewers to pay some of Mike Cameron's $10 million contract when the Yankees just signed CC Sabathia for $161 million!

However, some stubborness on the part of the Brewers is paying off and the Yankees are relenting a bit.

Here is my prediction: Cameron is solid for the Yankees and Melky becomes a decent everyday player for the Brewers. I don't think he will hit .290, but in the NL, I think .265 will be his normal production.

The Yankees may be in the Teixeira mix, but I can not imagine them actually signing him. It is just too much money! I still maintain that he will go to the Angels because the Red Sox like him but really have nowhere to put him. The Yankees are probably jacking up the price. Perhaps it will put the Angels out of the running for one of the second tier pitchers, although I would not be surprised if Ben Sheets ends up an Angel - because they have a really smart organization and he is the best bang for the buck on the market.

Yaros

My Laundry Is Better Than Your Laundry

It was Seinfeld who described our passion for our teams as “rooting for the laundry”.

Well, the new clothes wash is everywhere in the dryer. At least in NYC.

Cameron is back in town, this time with the Yankees, a true centerfielder to patrol across the street from where the Mick and Joe D did their stuff.

Mets fans will be able to give a favorite New York shoutout when their 8th inning man blows a lead and it will sound like his name—Putz. Puhlease!

We New York fans of both baseball teams are breathlessly waiting for more pitching changes and new bats – maple mostly—courtesy of superagent Boras.

Melky had better like beer, because “Got Melky” is not a likely slogan in the town that made beer famous.

Henry Frisch

NFL Hind Sight (Week 14 Edition)

I apologize for the delay, there has just been a lot to chat about over the past few days. I figured I am allowed to get this in tonight since we are still within the parameters of week 14.

So I begin...
-2 of the most curious teams played in Chicago on Sunday. The result was expected; however, I don't really understand how Chicago could get blown out one week and beat down a good team the next. The Jaguars don't make much sense either. How is this team 4-9? I don't have the answer to that question, so I'll just ask it.

-Aaron Rodgers' status as a rookie has really shown itself since the Packers schedule started to get tough. He definitely has his moments, but the playoff hopes are done after losing 5 out of their last 6 games.

-The Saints saved any chance of making the playoffs by beating the Falcons this week. It will still be a tough climb and they will need to win every game just to get a chance at the 6th seed.

-Buffalo has forgotten how to score points! That makes the Jets' lives much easier next week! The Bills have not scored a TD in 2 games!

-Tony Romo is a weak 4-6 in December. The guy tends to drop the ball when the pressure is on.

QUITE LITERALLY IN THIS SITUATION!



-It is beyond me that a team with any defense could let up 300 rushing yards to a pair of running backs - the Bucs pulled it off!

Yaros

Big Win For Knicks In Jersey!

The Knicks played a really good game tonight in Jersey against the Nets this evening. It is quite pathetic that the Nets played such bad defense against a team that flew into NY from Chicago at 3 o'clock this morning.

I was quite appalled that the Nets could not finish the deal after a really good start.

Yaros

Forget About Teixeira in the Stripes!

I keep hearing people ask about the Yankees perhaps signing Teixeira. The Yankees do have some semblance of a budget and signing Sabathia essentially took them completely out of the Teixeira sweepstakes.

Stop asking the question, there is almost no chance of it happening!

Yaros

Putz Coming To NY!

JJ Putz was outstanding 2 years ago in Seattle and the Mets are looking for similar production in the set-up role in the upcoming season. The Mets have finally traded Aaron Heilman and also got rid of Joe Smith in the deal. The other 4 players were not in last year's bullpen, but I think the trade was a good one if the Mets deem none of the other guys on the trade market worth the money other teams are offering to make them closers.

However, the fact that the Mets are not going to have a $8-10 million set-up guy, may allow them to sign a pitcher at a bit of a bigger price.

I did hear Omar Minaya say today that the focus is exclusively on pitching.

Yaros

Yankees Tossing Out Offers!

The Yankees are apparently offering AJ Burnett $80 million for 5 years, which is above what the Braves biggest offer has been thus far. This is obviously newsworthy in it of itself; however, there may be a deeper indication that this offer expresses. ie. Either that the Derek Lowe sweepstakes are getting away from the Yankees or that the Yankees have realized that Derek Lowe is 35 and not worth $64-68 million!



Personally, I would rather sign Oliver Perez and Ben Sheets that either of these 2, but hey, that is why Cashman makes the big bucks. Then again, he has screwed up almost every pitching decision he has made over the last number of years (some of the big ones are Wright, Randy Johnson, Hawkins, Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes over Johan, the list goes on). Maybe I should take over for Cashman!

Yaros

Hot Topic On The Stove!

Here is what is going on...
-apparently, Teixeira is going to get around $200 million over 8 or so years, so in the end CC will not get the most money this off season.

-Assuming Johan Santana takes the option for the seventh year of his contract with the Mets, the CC deal and the Johan deal are very similar money.

-the reliever market is getting hot. Kerry Wood is going to Cleveland and the other relievers are beginning to get a lot of attention after K-rod signed. The reason for all of this is because more teams with smaller budgets have determined that they can be in the reliever mix after the minimal amount of money the Mets signed K-rod for.

-The main competition the Yankees have in the Lowe market are the Phillies. If it were me, I would sign Sheets or Perez over Lowe because of money and age respectively.

-If you ask me, Sheets will be the steel of the year.

-There are still a bunch of guys who really have no team to go to and may need to take small, perhaps 1 year, deals. There are a bunch of outfielders that can hit but don't field well like Abreu, Pat Burrell, Raul Ibanez and Adam Dunn are all similar players who have no where to go at this point. The $15 million deals are no longer available for that kind of player.

Stay tuned for more...

Yaros

What's Next?

The Yankees are currently in discussions with Derek Lowe on a 4 year $64 million deal that may be the Yankees next move.

On the trade market, the Yankees may now be able to trade for Mike Cameron as I mentioned in a post yesterday and has been an object of the Yankees desire for a while now. With the CC to the Brewers stumbling block out of the way in the Cameron deal, I would not be surprised if the Yankees get it done.

There are also the Manny to the Yankees rumors. These are odd because there is no where for him to play. There is a complete log jam in the outfield with Damon, Nady and Matsui around to play with none capable of playing CF and Posada on the list of those available to play DH. Manny is a huge risk who can obviously hit a ton, but for him to be worth all that money, he would need to play a full season and I don't think he is prepared to do that.

Finally, everyone bugs out about the cost of all these free agents and how much it will bloat the Yankees salary. However, don't forget that Giambi, Mussina, Abreu and Pettitte (he is not going to get nearly as much money) are now all off the books and that gives the Yankees a ton of money to spend. All I'm saying is the if one cancels out the salaray of Giambi with that of CC as they are relatively comparable, the Yankees has another $50+ million a year coming off the books. The Yankees can sign Teixeira, Lowe and another guy for that much money!

Yaros

Frisch Talk - Sports Museum of America

In May, The Sports Museum of America opened on 26 Broadway in lower Manhattan. Have you been there? Neither have I.

Perhaps we will need to hurry to get there. They have just closed for Mondays. A few months back they defaulted on tax-free bonds that financed more than half the cost of the $93 million dollar home to the Heisman Trophy. The Depression year was a tough time to open this institution and it would be a shame if it goes down.

Films, memorabilia and interactive exhibits all make the place sound like a swell place to take kids and ourselves on a day there is no sports event for us to watch. Unfortunately, even with a recent price cut it still takes $16 for an adult to get in. Were the price $5 it would generate interest from the numerous workers out at lunch in the area.

Here’s wishing them well and maybe we’ll get down there one of these days.

Hours Of Operation
Hours: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. (last ticket is sold at 5:15 p.m.) Tuesday thru Sunday. Closed on Mondays.
Please note: SmA will be closed on Christmas Day (December 25) and New Year's Day (January 1).

The Sports Museum of America is open 365 days. Hours may vary by season, so please refer to this site for the most up-to-date hours of operation for the date you plan to visit. On occasion, the museum will close earlier than regular visiting hours for a private event. The last ticket will be sold 90 minutes prior to closing.

Directions
The Sports Museum of America is located at 26 Broadway in New York City. The entrance to the museum is on Beaver Street (at the southern end of SmA, between Broadway and Broad Street), steps from the famous "Charging Bull" statue that sits just north of Bowling Green on Broadway in Lower Manhattan.

A Boatload of Money!

I can't imagine any other team coming close to this offer, and it looked kind of creepy when Cashman followed Sabathia to San Fran. Just to get the parameters of the deal - CC will be paid an average of $22.85 million over the next 7 year. There are rumors of a opt. out after 3 years that may be included.

With regard to this deal's impact, now tons of stuff is going to happen in Vegas and beyond. The Yankees did not need to make this deal, but hey, it is there money.

The Yankees still need another pitcher and I would make that Sheets - who is getting the least play from other teams and may be willing to take a 2 year deal.

There are rumors the Yankees signing all of the other free agent pitchers and it is anyone's guess if they get any of them.

This is not a great deal for the Yankees; however, I am elated about this deal for one reason - I get to post my picture of CC for many years to come!

Yaros

Frisch Talk

Well, CC is in the Yankee fold.

Now what?

I would think Texeira ought to be the target. Not going after him actively should have been the strategy to keep the Angels at bay during the CC hunt. Getting Texeira would anchor the infield with a first class defender and provide a big bat at first allowing sub-par offense to continue in Center if necessary.

Pettitte has to fall into line or retire. Another pitcher ought to be doable.

All this should be affordable provided the Yankee request for more City money is not a sign of serious economic consequences to the club from the Depression.

Henry Frisch

Is Cano Worth Trading?

Robinson Cano may be worth trading for the right YOUNG guy. There have been rumors of Cano and Melky for Matt Kemp of the Dodgers. The Yankees badly need a CF and Matt Kemp is a really good option. He is not a great outfielder yet; however, he is very young and reminds me of a young Derek Lee.

There are a number of alternatives the Yankees can consider:
1) Sign a first baseman and play Nick Swisher in CF - not a great idea because no 1B is worthwhile other than Teixeira and the Yankees don't want to pay him all that money.

2) Play Melky or Brett Gardner in CF - neither can hit, although I think Melky is a better player.

3) Wait to see if CC signs anywhere other than Milwaukee because rumor has it that Mike Cameron will be available if CC doesn't sign with the Brewers. The is a hell of a lot of strike outs from the outfield - Nady and Cameron!

What to do, what to do? That is why Brian Cashman gets paid the big bucks - unfortunately, he has kind of screwed up over the past 7 years!

Yaros

Knicks Carrying Lots of Luggage!

No, I don't mean the luggage caused by the Marbury fiasco, I'm talking about those bigs that often have wheels and are thus called wheelies. It is college basketball tournament season at Madison Square Garden and the Knicks pay the price for the multiple users of the basketball court. With a 2-7 record on the road this year (they were 8-33 last year) and 8 of 10 (including 2 of the last 3) on the road, the Knicks are about to become road kill (haha, get the pun?)!

The Knicks did have a solid win in their last game against the Pistons, but of course that was at home. I expect the Knicks to lose 6 of their next 7 games and fall further out of playoff contention.

Have a good time thinking about the lottery Knicks fans. You only have one thing to pray for - a frozen envelope.

Yaros

Yankee Ticket Chaos

HENRY FRISCH

Henry Frisch is a new contributor to talkingNYsports.com.

Some of my Yankee Stadium partners keep asking me whether I have heard from the Yankees. The answer is both yes and no.

They sent me the regular slick relocation packet for the new stadium and I responded in timely fashion that I wanted to upgrade from my fifteen game package (for twelve seats) to a full 81 game package, still up in the top deck.

About two months ago I got a call that I would hear from them by December. When December came, I called and was told they are still dealing with the more expensive seats.

I am left wondering what is going on. The folks I know who had full season plans were forced to start sending their money in a long time ago and were told they would have a chance to get their new seats changed afterwards (and no one I know was content with an initial assignment).

My understanding is that the Mets took care of the changeover during the course of last season. Why are the Yankees not finished with this transitional job?

Is the economic downturn affecting the movement of the expensive seats?

Henry Frisch

Yankees may go for 2 A- pitchers instead of the big man...

With the CC chase getting away from the Yankees, they are trying to grab 2 of the second tier pitchers.

They include Lowe, Oliver Perez, Burnett and Sheets.

Here is the thinking...granted that CC is the best pitcher on the market, but, who would you rather have, CC and Ian Kennedy or 2 of the above?

I would at least consider taking 2 of the above. If the Yankees sign CC, then the rotation would look as follows - CC, Wang, Joba, Hughes and Pettitte/Kennedy. In my mind, that is too many question marks (ala last year). However, if the Yankees sign 2 of the above, then the rotation would have only 1 spot that is not filled with a really strong pitcher - Wang, Joba and those 2. I would not mind having Hughes as my fifth.

Don't forget this picture:


The fact that CC doesn't want to pitch here and the fact that he may have arm problems caused by last year will cause the Yankees to go elsewhere.

The silver lining is that the Yankees have not won a single championship since they started focusing on getting the biggest free agents. Perhaps signing 2 strong starters instead of the superstar is the way to go.

Yaros

A Couple Of Cold Stove Updates...

The offer to K-rod is now clarified as a 3 year $37 mil deal. This worked out really well for the Mets as they waited K-rod out until the price came down tremendously. K-rod was offered $34 mil over 3 years by the Angels PRIOR to the 62 save season K-rod just had. No one would say that the 62 save season is only worth 1 million dollars a year. But hey, the Mets got lucky.

As soon as this deal becomes official, I expect at least 1 of the other closers to sign with a different team -now with an understanding of what the top-of-the-line price is for a closer. It is rough to be a free agent this year!

Also, the Cubs may be trading for Jake Peavy. That would make a sick rotation. The only curious part of this deal is that the Phillies are involved. Why the Phillies would have any part in getting the Cubs an ace doesn't make much sense - even if the Phillies are getting Mark DeRosa (a very good player).

Come back for more...

Yaros

Sloppy Seconds

KEEP THE PUCK THERE!

While one can argue that the latest Sean Avery incident is not his worst, Colin Campbell gave him a clear warning after the Darcy Tucker fireworks last year not to show up for disciplinary action again.

Avery’s long laundry list of incidents include: Comments about Jason Blake’s cancer, calling George Laraque a Monkey, the aforementioned pregame scrum with Tucker, and antics versus the Devils last year forcing the NHL to create a new rule.

The question that remains is what the stars are going to do with him. It is known that professional players like Madano and Morrow hate him. At least when he was on the Rangers he was very productive on the ice. No one can argue the difference he made in the Rangers’ lineup last year and especially versus Brodeur. Even though I suspect players last year were getting sick of Avery’s baggage they were at least winning because of him. But now the Stars are sputtering and Avery has only 10 points (3-7). So if the players hate him and he’s not helping on the ice why keep him around?

AM

Maddux Done :(

Greg Maddux, the greatest pitcher of the generation, has finally retired. The only other pitcher that was in that conversation was Roger Clemens, and...well...yea...so about Clemens...so...he is in a bit of trouble right now. Because Clemens is a freaken cheater!

So, that leaves Maddux as the best pitcher over the past 20 years.

One memory I have of Maddux comes from the late 90s in a playoff game against the Yankees.

Bernie Williams was batting in a big spot. The first 2 pitches were a fastball and a change over the outside corner (literally) and Bernie did not swing on either. To defend the square inch both pitches hit, Bernie crowded the plate... and guess was happened-

Maddux threw one of those fastballs that starts out at the batters hip and ends up over the inside corner. However, because Bernie was crowding the plate, the ball started behind him and ended up over the plate. In a very un-Bernie-like moment, he turned to the umpire and started to argue. The only explanation given by the announcers was "wow, that is just not fair!" Because it wasn't. The greatest just made a very good hitter look like a fool at the plate.

I loved to watch Maddux in his heyday. The guy was just remarkable. The HOFer has 355 wins to Clemens 354. The 1 game doesn't mean much, but Maddux certainly deserves to come out on top of that race!

Yaros

Yankees Offering Burnett $64 for 4!

According to Jon "the man" Heyman, the Yankees are offering AJ Burnett $64 million over 4 years. That accomplishes 2 things, first, it is above the braves $60 mil offer and it is the best offer Burnett has without forcing the Yankees into a fifth year.

2 notes:
1) If I were Burnett, I would leave the $4 mil on the table and go pitch in the NL. As CC showed last year, it is much easier to get outs there and $4 mil is not that much money. The only caveat to that argument is that Burnett has historically pitched much better against the AL East than the NL East. He is 26-8 against the AL East and 19-25 against the NL East.

2) This deal makes it apparent that the Yankees have either told Pettitte goodbye, told Hughes he is #6 or are very nervous about CC. This is clearly not the prime deal they want to make, but may get stuck with Burnett (not a true ace) as their number 1 guy. In fact, he may only be their #3 guy behind Wang and Joba. The scary thing is that none of them have pitched well in the playoffs.

Yaros

Mets May Sign K-Rod Within Week!

WHO WILL BE THE NEXT MR. MET?

After K-rod and Omar Minaya met last night, it appears as though the Mets have offered K-rod a 3 year deal - likely in the $39 million range. K-rod wants a longer deal and the Mets may go to a 4th year.

It is possible that if K-rod wants more than the Mets are willing to offer, and the Mets have many other options to go to - Wood, Fuentes among others.

The great thing for the Mets is that there is no one else very interested in K-rod - one of the reasons there is no K-rod mania!

There are also other reasons why there is no K-rod mania - click here if interested!

It is also possible for the Mets to trade for a closer like Houston Street or BJ Ryan - the only issue there is that the Mets lack good minor leagues other than Fernando Martinez who the Mets will not trade. The rest of the minor league system plays in Minnesota.

There are 3 ways of this issue working out: 1) Met fans are elated when the team signs K-rod and Wood/Fuentes/Hoffman (1 of 3). If this happens my ears may fall off when Evan Roberts and Joe Benigno don't shut up about the deal for 3 months! Option 2 is that the Mets sign 2 of the other 3 guys - Met fans will be okay with that, but will still have some doubt about the bullpen (which is good because cocky Met fans are terribly annoying!). The third option is that the Mets sign 1 guy - even if it is K-rod, the Met fans (rightly so) will complain ad infinitum about how this will be a repeat of last year ... and the year before!

Yaros

Does CC Want The Yankees?

According to Joel Sherman (NY Post), CC Sabathia has no interest in coming to the Yankees. He is not completely set against it, but he may leave money on the table in order to play in the NL and/or on the west coast.

The Yankees will likely up their offer which would make the likelihood of some other team coming close to the Yankee offer very unlikely.

Will CC leave the money on the table? The answer is that the MLB Players Association will put pressure on to sign the biggest deal and CC would have to fight that pressure to sign elsewhere. Most players yield to that pressure (or the dollar signs in their heads), but the fact that CC has yet to sign may be making the Yankees' brass nervous.

Yaros

I post these words, not as my own (because I think they are nuts!), but as the opinion of one Yankee fan (rather obvious) and fellow blogger - Dachs (www.dachssnewblog.blogspot.com) - about what he thinks the Yankees should do (in an ideal world - a world that I (Yaros) deem to be lala land). It is a fun read, feel free to reply!

Here's what I'm thinking, as of now. Goodbye Giambi, goodbye Pavano, goodbye Abreu. We sign Teixeira (at any price), Manny (blasphemy I know, but he'll destroy Boston every time which will be worth the 100 million it'll cost), Orlando Hudson, Sabathia, and Oliver Perez. Priorities in that order.

We attempt to make 2 big trades. San Diego's shopping Peavy, I don't love him as much as most, but still, it's Peavy, he's 27 and locked in until 2013. According to the ESPN.com article I saw, they're looking for a near-ML ready CF and 2 pitching prospects. Well, how does Melky/Kennedy/Marquez sound?

Next, Seattle. They became the 1st team to lose 100 with a payroll of 100 million and are rumored to be looking to shed payroll. Rumor has it the whole team hates Ichiro. Well, how does Cano/Matsui for Ichiro/the injured Bedard sound?

And in a minor trade we take 2 relievers making no money, let's say Edwar and Bruney, and package them for Huston Street, whose contract Oakland's trying to get rid of.

Our new-look lineup:
CF Ichiro
SS Captain
1B Teix
DH Manny
3B A-Rod
C Posada
LF Damon
RF Nady
2B Hudson

Our new-look rotation:
Best-case: Sabathia, Peavy, Wang, Pettitte, ??? (Perez)

We may not get Sabathia and/or Peavy, which is where Oliver Perez would come in. Hughes spends the beginning of the year in AAA, and is the 1st guy up after an injury.

Bullpen: Mo closing, Joba in the 8th, Street/Coke/Melancon as other setup guys, Marte as the LOOGY, Giese as the long man.

Bench: Molina/Gardner/Betemit/Shelley or Christian.

David Lee Leading Knicks!

David Lee has been absolutely beastly (I know it is an interesting word - just think Dwight Howard - the ultimate beast!) lately. He has a double double in his last 9 games and has really stepped up since the Randolph trade.

Chris Duhon has also played well of late, but he is occasionally inconsistent.

The Knicks won a game against Detroit today (I don't really think anyone cares) and die hard Knicks fans can get excited about beating a team everyone thinks is good.

Turns out, Detroit is not really all that good since the Iverson trade. Their pedestrian 7-8 record since the appearance of AI is the most clear stat to that effect.

Anyway, the Knicks did win the game and we can give them a round of applause for that victory!


I LOVE RANDOM YOUTUBE VIDEOS!

Note the cynical nature of my applause!

Yaros

It Is Going To Be A Rough Week In NY!

What happened?

I am doing a combined Jet Giant rap up for multiple reasons. First and foremost, it is 1:25ish on Monday morning and I'm wicked tired. However, there is a gameplay reason for this combo - both QBs (Eli and Favre) both threw for a pathetic below 150 yards -symbolic of the ugly and poor offensive play by both teams.

Now, to all of those Giants fans who are going nuts because the Giants actually lost to a good team, you are absolutely correct. Hence, I reiterate that the primary reason for the combo report is the first one!

Moving on, the Jets need to learn that pass defense is part of the game. It is quite apparent that they lack a DB and LBs who can cover. There were many wide open Niners today as the Jets just seemed to be constantly out of position. Most notably, Dwight Lowery seems to be very overwhelmed. Remember: playing well in the second half of preseason games means you can excel against practice squad players! So, congratulations to Mr. Lowery for playing well when it doesn't count - now, sit on the bench until you learn to cover a decent NFL wide out.

David Harris was welcomed back with open arms today; however, he is still injured and the 49ers tried, and succeeded in pass coverage, in exploiting that weakness. Note that Eric Barton can not cover anyone!

Bottom line, the Jets got their butts handed to them and should be ashamed on the awful flight back home. Find a way to not blow the division!!!

The Giants should not be ashamed of their loss. Philadelphia can beat anyone on a good day and Westbrook was ridiculous today. The Giants must win next week for multiple reasons. 1) make sure the Cowboys don't make the playoffs and shut up all those Dallas loving morons! 2) gain some confidence 3) secure a bye.

The Giants did not play well and I think the Plaxico incident hurt them on the field. The double teams he received stopped shoving 9 men in the box on I-formation, 2 WR sets (and 8 in the box otherwise). The Giants need to throw tons of slants to forced defenses to play someone underneath in coverage. That is an effective way of preventing the run defense pile up. If a team needs to push its LBs 8 yards downfield to prevent those slants towards the middle, the RBs will have much more room to run.


IGNORE THE KID IF YOU SO DESIRE, THE HIGHLIGHTS ARE SOLID AND THE KID IS SIMPLY EXPLAINING WHAT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. APPARENTLY THE CAMERAMAN DID NOT LIKE THE KID'S FACE!

Care to comment?

Yaros

Dog Fight in East Rutherford!

I don't think it is going to be that easy to beat the Eagles. Forget about the distraction that may ' allegedly' plague the Giants this week. Well, as the Giants have shown in the past, they are a deep and resilient team. Simply, distractions will not be an issue in the game. Additionally, the Giants will not be caught looking past the Eagles - after all, this is Giants Eagles.

The reason the Giants could lose is because the Eagles are a very talented team. It is all about which Donovan McNabb shows up to the game. Brian Westbrook is one of the best players in football and the Eagles will obviously try to get him the ball in any which way. Look for tons of screens in passing downs as the Eagles will try to bait the Giant pass rushers into huge blitzes and then dump the ball off over the top. One of the major keys to running a good screen is pretending that you, the offensive lineman who is pulling, is beat on the play and not intentionally allowing the blitzer to get to the QB.

However, the confidence and depth of the Giants will likely reign supreme.

Prediction: Giants 27 Eagles 23

Yaros

Jets Need To Mean Business!

This is a big game for the Jets. Asside from the fact that 9-4 vs. 8-5 is a huge difference in the standings (with New England and Miami on the Jets' tail), the Jets need to restart the momentum that carried them through 5 straight wins.

As for the particulars of the Jets' game plan:

To start with, the 49ers have beat no one good in their 4 wins. They beat Seattle when the Seahawks were missing their entire offense due to injury, they beat the Bills with Losman for the second half (Edwards got hurt half way through - this is their best win) and then 2 wins against the Rams and Lions respectively (or lack their of since both teams are horrendous!)

Ok, so here we go...

Offensively, the Jets should start things off with the run. Marshawn Lynch (granted that he is a bit better than Thomas Jones) ran all over the 49ers last week. This team loves giving up massive runs and the Jets must take advantage!

Defensively, with no QB to throw the ball around, the Jets should put the pressure (for the first time in ages - for some reason a few weeks ago the Jets stopped using pressure - I don't know why?). Piling 8 guys into the box is not a bad idea either - considering how pathetic the Jets run defense was last week.

As for a Prediction: Jets 34 49ers 7

Yaros

A-rod - What's Next? England?

C'mon Alex, make up your mind! The guy is incredibly self conscious, he is very tentative when making any decision and that includes which country he will play for during the next World Baseball Classic. It is a problem that A-rod has in any area of life.

Last WBC, Arod played for the U.S.A., this time around he is playing for the Dominican Republic and next time around, since his "friend" Madonna lives in England, A-rod will play for a newly formed English team.

A-rod will pitch, play short and third (all at the same time) with a bunch of cricketeers playing the rest of the field. Good luck playing for the Queen Mr. Alexander Emanuel Rodriguez! I can't imagine that the added pressure will do you much good!

Cheers!

Yaros