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.
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