The NFL Draft

Now that were less than two months away from the NFL Draft I want to take some time to talk about the potential draftees and their prospective pro careers.

For the most part there was no argument as to who the top will be, but for the last week speculation as to what the Rams might do has raised many interests. Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska loooks to be the best physical player in the draft and makes the most sense considering that the Rams were one of the worst defensive teams in all of football this past season. If you are not aware of just how talented Suh, look no further than the Big 12 Championship game, where he had 6 sacks and was an absolute nightmare for the Texas Longhorns offensive line. Suh is the top rated defensive lineman in front of Gerald McCoy from Oklahoma, who was considered the best defenseman for most of the season before January. The uncertainty of the top pick further escalates because of the the Rams need for a top QB. As of last week it was said that the Rams were interested in possibly taking Sam Bradford of Oklahoma or Jimmy Clausen of Notre Dame so that they would not waste the opportunity to get a top tier quarterback. The Rams hold the key to the entire draft as whomever they should pick will impact which direction the draft will take.

Besides the formetioned, there are other college footballers who are quite impressive and could definitely make a splash on the pro scene. Eric Berry(Tennessee), Joe Haden(Florida) and Golden Tate(Notre Dame) each have the possibility of having a substantial impact despite the fact they will most likely not be top 10 picks. Many players put an emphasis on the Scouting Combine to impress scouts and improve their draft stocks, but usually it is the teams need that take precedence when decision time comes in the first round. One player I feel could have a great chance to be a first round sleeper Rutgers CB Devin McCourty who really made heads turn at the Senior Bowl with his aggressiveness in coverage. He may not have played for a large scale football program, but McCourty's 261 tackles in 4 years give the sense that Greg Schiano can certainly churn quality players. I expect teams to look at him pretty hard as cornerbacks with his aggressive style are becoming a dime a dozen in the league.

Tiger Woods

On friday Tiger Woods broke his silence by addressing the public for the first time since the now infamous car accident, which spurred the whirlwind of troubles has had to endure about his life beyond golf. Woods made a thirteen minute long statement in a small room with a small media presence as well as family and friends who were there for moral support. Woods made it his business to apologize to all of the people who put their faith in him and how he knows his actions have made a mockery of all that he stands for. Though he did not go into detail about what caused the car crash and how his relationship with his wife Elin is as of this point, Woods was very animated in denying any reports that there was any physical abuse the night of the accident. I have no doubt that many have drawn their opinion on what took place that evening already, and some have made it clear that Elin should leave Tiger and forget about him altogether. However, as Woods said, is up to the two of them. In hearing the plethora of observations and critiques of Wood's statement I have only heard criticism and chastising of his demeanor, body language, and sincerity. Though what Tiger Woods did should not be condoned by any married couple, he did not commit any crime according to American Standards. He did not do anything that no one else has done before and he will definitely not be the last. It is due to the image that was made for him as this perfect, flawless person that this has drawn so much attention from all standpoints. I do agree that there is much repairing Woods must do if he is to regain the trust of his sponsors, fans, and especially his family, but I have total faith that he will overcome all of this and return to golf with a better mindset, both professionally and personally.

Last night the new Acquisitions of the New York Knicks made their debuts in a match-up with the Oklahoma City Thunder. I will admit there were some very impressive performances by Eddie House and Tracy McGrady, however there is still a missing attitude with the Knicks that will prevent them from getting anywhere. I still feel that it was better to develop a team that could build a good foundation for improvement and relevance, but I guess one can only hope as a fan that it all pans out for the best, or else it will not be pretty for Donnie Walsh and everyone else in the Knicks organization.

The Knicks Future

The trade deadline in the NBA is tomorrow and it looks like things are going to get interesting for the Knicks. As far at it can be told the Knicks possibly have a trade in place with the Boston Celtics involving the Knicks giving Nate Robinson to the Celtics and New York acquiring guard Eddie House. This trade, should it go through will most likely upset Knick fans as Robinson is certainly a popular player and one of the reasons fans came to see the Knicks play. One could think that the Knicks would hold a player like Robinson in high regard and try to get a much needed draft out of any potential deal, but it seems the Knicks negotiating skills are feeble at best. Perhaps this does ensure that the Knicks will keep David Lee for the long haul, however we cannot be certain until that happens. Another made that is official is the trading of Darko Milicic to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Brian Cardinal who will be waived. That is yet another move to get money off the books in preparation for the upcoming star studded free agent year. I'm a little skeptical of how the Knicks are going about their future with moves that do not seem to make much basketball sense, the lack of quality drafts, let alone draft picks, has done more harm than good to the team as it bared little or no results on the court. Somehow it can be felt that the organization is growing desperate and they think a marquee player will suddenly make things better, but a free agent is only as good as the team they play for. Tracy McGrady is only another high profile piece to getting ultimate cap space to overextend the free agent market, but the onus should be placed on creating a team that can perform on the court and not in the bank. I know that some say that if the Knicks can sign one or two free agents they will become like the 08-09 Celtics, who sent shock waves around the league buy acquiring the services of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen and rode it all the way to a championship. However, that is highly unlikely to happen as there is so very much to do in order to get the team out from under the barrel many analysts and writers have placed them.

Today, a very welcoming sight has come to Yankees fans all around as the team has opened spring training, this means only one thing. The quest for 28 has officially begun, Here's hoping that the new campaign can build similar results as the previous one.

NY Frustrations

To start I would like to congratulate David Lee on being the Knicks first all star in 9 years. I know it is by default, but he truly deserves it for the season he is having. The Knicks could use some bright spots as things haven't been going to well for a long time. In my opinion, the Knicks should invest in building a good team instead of waiting for a free agent to come and be the franchise's savior. Come to think, of it how many free agents will be willing to come to New York and play for a team that has shown no sign of improving? If the Knicks hope to make anything of their future they had best lock up their young players i.e. David Lee, Nate Robinson, Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari and get an actual center, then there will be room for improvement. If the Knicks really do believe that a high profile free agent will make all the difference then they are short changing themselves as an organization and should sell themselves to a billionaire like the Nets have done in order to save the teams integrity.

I want to talk about the Mets simply to vent some frustrations I have with their handling of the free agent period. Last year the Yankees made it top priority to sign players like Sabathia and Burnett to improve the team and re-insure the fans, the Mets however seem to lack this same urgency. I guess I cannot solely blame the team itself since the management are the ones calling the shots. The signing of Jason Bay was the one move that can be seen as a move to improve the team and lock up left field, however that was not the only place the Mets needed to get better at. Outside of Johan Santana, there is no starter that has proven that they can win games consistently, Kelvim Escobar is sure to be delegated to the bullpen since he has had recent Tommy John surgery and no one knows how he will perform on the mound. Omar Minaya has not done much to attack the areas of need with poor decisions that mirror those of Isaiah Thomas during his stay with the Knicks. His management has cost the Mets opportunities to sign players such as John Lackey and Orlando Hudson as a result of long tenured contracts to players that do not live up to the hype. Do not get me wrong as the Yankees have made these mistakes as well, but they have certainly made up for them as thet claimed their 27th championship. If the Mets want to get out of the shadow of the Yankees, they will need to make serious adjustments or face a very long decade thinking of what might have been if they had made the right moves.

Something for a snow day

With looming contract years for Jeter and Rivera some fans are probably feeling a sense of worry about the future of the two core players. I know for a fact that there is no way either of them will ever play for a team other than the Yankees for any reason. I have full confidence that Cashman will lock up Jeter for the remainder of his career,after all he is the face of the franchise. With Rivera now forty years old and probably not having many years left in the league, it is a safe bet that the Yankees will give him a contract which will be based on how many years he will pitch until retirement. I personally think that the team should allow him to stay to help groom the next closer in waiting, whomever that may be. Now that that is in mind, the reasoning behind not giving a contract to Damon makes more sense. I am pretty sure fans would much rather give Jeter 14 million a year than Damon, that is not saying that the fans didn't like him, but Yankees fans love Derek Jeter more.

2010 is going to be interesting in football, and now that it will be an uncapped year that makes for a very exciting free agent period. It seem that Osi Umenyiora is still at odds with the Giants after being taken out of the starting lineup for the final part of the regular season. With that in mind it is best that Umeniyora make nice in talking with Tom coughlin so that the Giants organization won't be tempted to look at hims as a potential distraction. He and Justin Tuck are two of the best pass rushers the team has, and if the rival Cowboys have taught us anything it's that disgruntled players can bog down an entire team if they are not reeled in expeditiously. My hopes are that the change in coordinator will give some closure to the situation, however the uncapped year could bring a player like Julius Peppers to New York if all is lost. While Peppers is a major dynamic and a menace to any offensive line, he does want a franchise tag, and I don't know if the giants are ready to make that kind of investment with a free agent. I would really like to see Osi stay, but that is up to the result of the meeting he has with Coughlin. it would be much better for Perry Fewell to have to core of the defense that won in 2007 still in tact, that will make for an easier transition considering he is new to the team. Remember Sheridan failed the Giants because of his lack of communication with the defense, an angry player will make it increasingly hard to focus on the task at hand. The Giants certainly need to get on the same page with the players that Sheridan alienated in his system, New York is normally good with damage control and that will come in handy when trying to keep around one of their best players.

Super Bowl

Well the Super bowl is over and I must say that while it was not the result I was pulling for, it still was a great win for the Saints, and especially the city of New Orleans. The game was rather pedestrian for the first half with the game seeming to fit right into the Colts hands, but the tide quickly turned when the Saints pulled an unprecedented call for a surprise onside kick to take away possession from the Colts, which payed huge dividends as they went down and scored. Who would have thought Sean Payton would something like that in a game of this magnitude, Talk about a game changing play, I guess fortune really does favor the bold.


Despite the sudden momentum shift I still felt that with Peyton Manning, the Colts were still in the drivers seat to retake control and win the game. It looked like that was going to happen, until Manning through an uncharacteristic mistake that cost the Indianapolis a touchdown. A that moment you cold sense that all was lost for the Colts. Even though I was not rooting for them, I can say with honesty that the Saints truly earned this win and deserve to hold their heads high as champions of the world. The signing of Drew Brees looks to have payed off after all, and the grumbles of Dolphins fans who wished their team would have taken the chance on him are growing even louder than before. This is quite a way for New Orleans to kick off Mardi Gras and it seems the party won't end until next season. This Championship truly means the world to the people of Louisiana who had to endure 42 years of shame from with no bright future on any horizon. Once more I give my congratulation to the Saints for a job well done and the Colts for a great season. March Madness and spring training are right around the corner.

Joba Chamberlain

One of the hot topics for debate amongst Yankee fans for the past two years has been the role of Joba Chamberlain in the pitching staff. He was simply dominant out of the bullpen and I just knew that the Yankees were going to keep him there, since he was practically untouchable. When the Season was over, one could not help but look into the advantages of having Chamberlain as the bridge to Rivera and the sense of hopelessness opposing teams would get if the game got to the seventh inning. This, however was not the plan the organization had for Joba, as general manager Brian Cashman and the coaching staff announced that they would use him as a starter to get the full compliment of his talents. While it seemed totally illogical to the fans to take a pitcher who had so much success out of the Bullpen and suddenly place him in the rotation, where so many pitcher had fallen victim to sour careers before him. Nonetheless, support for Chamberlain came as Yankees fans still wanted to show their confidence in the team, as well as support for the up and coming Joba in hopes he would prove all the naysayers wrong and anchor a championship formula; which was accomplished this past season, though he worked as a reliever not a starter in the post season.

As a Fan of Chamberlain I would like no more than to see him return to the bullpen as I have said previously. I say this on behalf of his statistical output in the bullpen as compared to as a starter. Who can argue against an ERA of 0.38 in his first year as a reliever as opposed to a 4.75 in his first years a a full time starter. It is most probable that his inconsistencies as a starting pitcher are due to the Yankees holding him back in hopes of preventing injury that could hamper his career as it did to Mark Prior. While I do understand the logic behind it, I cannot condone coddling a pitcher to protect their arm, young pitcher like Justin Verlander, Zack Grienke, Tim Lincecum, and Andrew Bailey were not held back by their respected teams, and they each have carved a name for themselves as elite pitchers in the major leagues. As a team that now has twenty seven championships I am certain I speak for all Yankees fans in saying that they should not allow other organizations to best them in player development. Whatever the future holds for Joba I certainly hope he is successful in the endeavors of making a name for yourself in the most unrelenting sports haven in the world...The Yankee Universe

Time for an Update

I know it has been a while and I want to apologize to any reader who I may have kept waiting. Since it is now February and the Superbowl is fast approaching I thought I would take the time to elaborate on the game itself as well as my prediction for the contest. It is safe to say that this should be a great game to watch with two stellar quarterbacks at the helm of their respected teams. Drew Brees has has nothing short of an amazing season with 4,388 passing yards and 34 touchdown passes and though some may say that he is at a disadvantage in a game of this magnitude since he really does not have the experience, he is still a professional player and this is what everyone works for so I fully expect him to perform at his highest. On the other side there is Peyton Manning who is arguably the greatest quarterback of this generation. Not only can he manage a game well, he is capable a reading defenses mid game and adjusting accordingly to have the best chance at success. The Saints defensive coordinator Greg Williams says that his defense will go after Manning continuously all game long, but I think it will take much more than just blitzing to stop a quarterback who had 4,500 passing yards and 33 touchdowns in the regular season. It is this plus the fact that I just cannot bet against a Manning in a big game, that I am picking the Colts to win. That is not saying that I think the Saints are not capable of winning, they are after all the sentimental pick of nation due to of their treacherous days as the "Aints" and of course the devastation and hardship of Hurricane Katrina, but it is safe to believe that the Colts want to win just as badly to prove that once and for all they are an elite championship team.

It is more than three months away but I figured I would give some input about the Giants draft possibilities. It's obvious the most glaring need is defense and in reading some draft predictions from different analysts, linebacker is the most pressing need with the health of Antonio Pierce in question. Their are many choices for the Giants but they should go for the player who will make the biggest impact immediately. With a new defensive coordinator in Perry Fewell it should be safe to think that the defense will return to it aggressiveness it showed during the 2007 season. That will surely be a welcome sight to see after the debacle that Bill Sheridan created in trying to change the style to a system in which the Giants were not familiar and, for all intensive purposes, did not have to talent to run it effectively. Hopefully the Giants will use the the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine to narrow down their decision as to who will be the best fit in re-establishing themselves as an NFL powerhouse.

One thing I have heard throughout the off season is how the Yankees would deal if they had to loss Johnny Damon. While many fans, myself included, feel that not having him will have a great impact on how the lineup will look. I fully understand what the Yankees are doing. For the past three years the Yankees have wanted to get younger and more athletic because of the team aging. They made these changes by bringing up Brett Gardner and acquiring Curtis Granderson from Detroit though it cost them one of their top prospects in Austin Jackson whom they were reluctant to give up. Players like Jaime Hoffmann, whom the Yankees scooped up in the Rule 5 Draft from the Nationals, Ramiro Pena, Francisco Cervelli, Juan Miranda, and Kevin Russo, who like myself is from Long Island, the Yankees are telling the league that they are indeed willing and capable of becoming a younger, more athletic team than in years past. Defense is a virtue in any sport and the Yankees know that as well and any major league ball club. The return of Nick Johnson will not only give the Yankees a good backup for Mark Teixeira but someone who can be a DH and hit at the top of the lineup. With Johnson's tremendous on base percentage he is sure to fit nicely into a lineup full of hitter who are patient and can wear down a pitcher through their at bats. As far as the pitching rotation is concerned, the trade for Javier Vazquez gives the Yankees four legitimate starters leaving the fifth spot up for grabs. While I am not certain of who will win the spot, I do favor Phil Hughes since he has now graduated to true pitcher status while working in the bullpen. Chamberlain in my view should be the setup man and future heir-apparent to Mariano Rivera, but I am not a member of the Yankees staff so it is up to them. As far as Mitre and Gaudin are concerned, they both can have great spring trainings and slip into the rotation. If not, they will be more than valuable out of the pen and it's been a while since the Yankees have had a legitimate long man in the pitching staff. Spring Training will be upon us before we know it and one thing that is certain is that the Yankees will be looking to repeat as champions in 2010 and claim title number 28 in team history.