Are You Ready for some Foooball

After 132 aggravatingly long days of a pretentious and ridiculous lockout, the NFL is open for business. This was the longest lockout in the history of the the league and hopefully it will be the last to have such longevity. With all the kinks ironed out it has given way to the most hectic free agency period we have ever seen. Names like Nnamdi Asomugha, Santonio Holmes, Antonio Cromartie, Ike Taylor, and DeAngelo Williams, are sure to draw the eyes of every team in the league and stir up a free agency frenzy like no other. Football is the single most popular sport in America and knowing that Sundays will not be filled with church, boring errands and Sunday dinner puts many fans minds at ease.

Colon Renaissance Continues

Bartolo Colon continues to prove that he hasn't lost his talent with yet another brilliant performance today. He has defied all of the naysayers who believed he could never recover the career he lost shortly after claiming the 2005 Cy Young Award. The Yankees knew they were taking a chance, but are now most definitely appreciative of what the 37 year old right hander is giving them. With Phil Hughes still sidelined Colon has been a breath of fresh air to a pitching staff that was much maligned after the retirement of Andy Pettitte. Hopefully he can continue this mastery as the season rolls along.

The Yankees Struggles Continue

After suffering their six consecutive loss in a 6-5 loss to the Rays, which saw the team blow a four run lead one would believe that a sense of urgency has settle in for fans, players and management alike. The struggling bats and have placed unneeded pressure on the pitching staff, which has for the most point weathered it pretty well, but it may only be a matter of time until even that gives way. It does not help that the hitting of Nick Swisher, Jorge Posada, and Alex Rodriguez has been non exsistent and, outside of Curtis Granderson, so is the overall run production. If the Yankees don't start remebring the basics, the organization will beging to make drastic alterations that they feel will suit better for the long term.

Goodight L.A.

The two time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers have been emphatically swept out of the playoffs after losing to the Mavericks 122-86. A rather embarrassing ousting for such a proud and tradition rich organization. You have to feel bad for Phil Jackson who until today had never been swept in any playoff series in his entire coaching career; when you have the likes of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Shaquille O'Neal to coach, it's a pretty safe bet that getting swept is the last thing on your mind. I can't imagine that Dr. Jerry Buss is going over this with a grain of salt, especially since his team was even favored over the Miami Heat and the Wade, James, Bosh trio. Look for some major changes to be on the horizon and with it the many calls for the team to vigorously pursue superstar center Dwight Howard or point guard Chris Paul (if the Knicks don't land him first) who will most likely hit the free agent market in 2012. For now it's off to the golf courses and vacation hot spots for Kobe Bryant and crew, no doubt this one will not set well him and you have to figure he will have an indirect influence on who the team acquires and who they trade away to get it.

The NFL Lockout

As of yesterday the order that judge Susan Richard Nelson which lifted the lockout has been overturned by a federal court of appeals. I still do not believe that the owners are steadfast in preventing football from happening in order for them to make more money. I don't know what may be the true mindset of all involved, but I will say this, If the NFL season misses just one week They would potentially sacrifice billions in television money alone, now that is something to phone home about.

On to game Two, NBA Playoffs

Last nights game was pretty hard to swallow as the Yankees saw six double plays doom any hopes of another rally. It's was a tough go for the young right hander Ivan Nova as he could not shake his fifth inning struggles. It is still too early to see whether or not Nova can handle his first full big league season, but I am sure that he still has the vote of confidence form Joe Girardi. Freddy Garcia will finally make his Yankee debut as a starter today and one cannot help but worry that the 3 week lay over will have an affect on his performance. Hopefully that will not be that case.

The road to the NBA Finals gets underway as 8 teams from each conference will compete for the chance to be crowned world champions. I will say that several teams have a legitimate shot a making a run, more that in previous years; However that is not to say that there aren't any favorites. The Lakers have the aura of back to back titles to fall back on and seem poised for a three peat, but losing 5 of 7 to end the season may not help their chances, especially against a tough Memphis Grizzlies team with nothing to lose. For most of the year the Spurs defied the age bug and had many people including myself believe they were headed for championship glory; But they scuffled through April incurring injuries to key players which includes Manu Ginobili who got hurt an the seasons final day. The Spurs need to get healthy ASAP or it could be doomsday for the leagues most veteran heavy squad.

I would be lying if I were to tell you that the Miami Heat were not a favorite, in fact they should win it all accordinbg to all of the pre season speculators. The Heat are a great team on paper with championchip capabilities, but if there is one thing that was proven this year is that even with the big three, the Heat are vulnerable. Who knows how they will respond to this heightened atmosphere, but don't expect the Sixers to just lie down at the feet of the Bosh-Wade-James gang. Now is time for Mr James to prove he did not make a mistake by leaving his hometown, though every self respecting basketball fan is going to root against him.

Yankees/Orioles, Knicks Playoffs

After a good victory last night The Yankees will send Phil Hughes to the mound in the final game of the rain shortened series. Hughes has much to prove tonight as his drop in velocity and lack of conviction on his fastball. Pitching coach Larry Rothschild had in depth video session with Hughes and has discovered a flaw in his pitching motion that most likely has attributed to the 3 mph dip that every hitter has no problem taking a whack at. You have to believe that the fans are not going be nice if he struggles to find his pitches tonight, but I trust he will get things together because he's much better than his ERA shows.

This Sunday a momentous occasion will grace the televisions of New York Sports fans, The Knicks will play their first playoff game in years (10 years for those who discredit 2004). As far as the teams chances of success I think if they can work the ball effectively and show a bit of a defensive edge they a capable of putting up a great fight and possible upset of the Boston Celtics. It will be up the the New Knickerbockers, Chauncey Billups, Amare Stoudemire, and Carmelo Anthony, all whom have multiple games of playoff experience that will help guide the youngsters on how to handle the pressures of legitimate April basketball. It's going to be a tough task trying to knock off the defending Eastern conference champs, but this is a great test to find out what these Knicks are truly made of

On to the next game

The Yankees notched their first victory on the 2011 season with a 6-3 win over the Tigers. C.C. Sabathia may have not been perfect, but he was very respectable, especially since he has struggled on opening day for his career. Mark Teixeira is looking to have a better April than he had last year, which has become unfortunately habitual in his career. Opening looked like a great start for him, let's hope he can continue this through April and the rest of 2011. What was most impressive, and perhaps a sign of things to come, was the performance of the Yankee bullpen. The combination of Chamberlain, Soriano, and Rivera gave up no hits and 3 strikeouts in 3 innings of work. Performances like this show that there is reason to believe that this ultimately will become the strength of the team, which will separate them from the other ball clubs in the American league. As I have said before it will be a tough road to a division title, but it is a trek the Yankees are more than capable of making.

Opening Day

It's finally here, After a month of spring games roster speculations, it is time to get down to business. The Yankees come into the season like they always have, aspiring to win their 28th championship. Not surprisingly the Yankees look to be underdogs this season as the Red Sox have have revamped their roster and are heavily favored to win the AL East. Many fans feel that this is the best case scenario as it will lift the pressure off the Yankees and place it on their hated rival, however from watching the interviews with the players, expectations are as high as ever and their isn't much talk about being underdogs, only about winning. That attitude is what has brought the Yankees 27 world championships and that is not about to change.


I expect a tight race in the AL East this season, especially with the Orioles who under Buck Showalter, are a much improved team capable of putting up a tough fight against any opponent. The Blue Jays are also a big challenge with their young pitching, though the loss of key offensive players could keep them down. As for the Tampa Rays, they are looking to find the next line of players to play around Evan Longoria. The losses of Pena, Crawford, Garza, and Soriano will be rough on them, but Maddon has shown he can do a lot with not much so don't be quick to put them at the bottom of the division. The Red Sox are loaded with talent after sweeping through free agency to to get Carl Crawford, Bobby Jenks, and Dan Wheeler and not to mention the trade that landed them Adrian Gonzalez. Those moves surely make the the odds on favorites to win the division and bump the Yankees to underdog status.

The season looks to be very compelling as many storylines will take hold and play themselves out over the next 6 months. Yankees baseball returns tomorrow and everyone is stimulated with anticipation.

March Madness

With the first of the opening round games now complete and the next half getting underway I feel it is time to talk about who I believe are the favorites and cinderellas of the 2011 NCAA tournament.

Here are the teams that I feel, if they play their cards right, should be a lock for the Final Four:

Ohio State - Getting the top overall seed in the tournament means they have seemingly been given the sweetest deal. From the looks of the East Bracket, there does not seem to be any team with the exception of Syracuse who could match up well with the Buckeyes. North Carolina is formidable, however even if they should make a run Ohio State, lead by their top man Jared Sullinger has the offensive and defensive fire power to shut down any team that they are matched up against.

Kansas - I think it is a safe bet to think that Coach Bill Self's team is more than capable of reaching the Final Four or better yet winning a national championship. Having the Big 12 player of the year Marcus Morris on your side is quite an advantage to have. Combined with rather intimidating prowess Kansas should be able to stand up to any challenge posed in the Southwest Bracket

Duke - Many analysts have placed Duke in the toughest spot of the four number 1 seeds, I will remind everyone that the Blue Devils have already proven hey can handle it by winning it all in 2010. I will agree that this year The road could be much more difficult to manage, but Mike Krzyzewski welcomes challenges and has an ire for getting his teams to push their limits and achieve. Potential match ups with Texas, UConn, and Possibly San Diego State down the road could trip Duke up, but with Players like Seth Curry, Kyle Singler, and ACC player of the Year Nolan Smith, there is enough talent and leadership to get Duke through the fire.

Pittsburgh - To say that the Panthers are not a lock is a huge spit in the face to their accomplishments over the last decade. With multiple Big East regular season and tournament championships, they have shown that they are the cream of the crop in the most competitive conference in college basketball. Though there could be a big threat in St John's, Should the Johnnies get hung up, Pittsburgh should have no problem bowling over the competition in the Southeast.

Notre Dame - Though they are not in my top four, I will say that the Fighting Irish can indeed make a run to Houston. If they can avoid any type of shooting slump for six games they stand a chance in scoring a major upset over the favored Jayhawks should they meet in the elite 8. But that is only a speculation

Now its on to the cinderellas:

George Mason - We all remember the 2006 tournament when George Mason made a run for the ages by taking out some of the top teams in the nation too reach the Final Four. They have the talent and motivation to do the same thing all over again so every team should put a red flag on the Patriots.

St John's - Now you may wonder way I would have a number 6 seed as a cinderella, but taking into account that the last time St. John was legitimately in the tournament, and had a record this good, Omar Cook was their point guard. The loss of DJ Kennedy is huge, but Steve Lavin already has gotten the Red Storm to a much better place than they have been in a decade, the only way to go is up. With wins over Pittsburgh, Duke, Notre Dame and UConn, St. Johns certainly has no fear of top tier teams in the NCAA

Bucknell - This is a talented and steady group of players who know how to play as a cohesive unit. They may not have the team which ran out the heavily favored Kansas Jayhawks in 2005 but the Patriot League champions could repeat those events if anyone should take them too lightly

Back on the Move

Hi everyone, I know it's been a while so I will start out by wishing each of you a safe and prosperous new year. Now that I finally have the time to write I want to talk about the state of the New York Yankees in 2011.

From what I have seen and read, the lost chance of landing Cliff Lee did indeed rattled the Yankee hierarchy and I don't blame them. Lee would have filled a hole that just seemed to keep getting bigger in 2010 with the struggles of AJ Burnett all season long. any questions that fans and experts had about the rotation Lee would have answered in more ways than one. But alas, that is not to be, so The Yankees must do as many others who have come up short of an ultimate goal, they must forge on. While it could be looked at as an utter tragedy to some including myself, I now see it as an opportunity for the team to truly evaluate the team in front of them, especially their to tier minor league prospects. Jesus Montero is already being held in high regard amongst Cashman, Girardi, and the Steinbrenners, so much so that the team refused to give him up when the Mariners asked for him in the potential mid May deal that would have landed Lee. The signing of Russell Martin coupled with the permanent move of Posasda to DH creates a window for Montero to break into the majors sooner much sooner than we think.

Andy Pettitte looks to be headed towards retirement though with spring training upon us next month, he has yet to make anything official. His presence in the rotation would certainly help greatly but the team is doing the right thing by presuming he is retired so that they are not left waiting. Contrary to what many may think thee are many alternatives that can be looked at in replacing Pettitte that I am sure the Yankees have looked at. They have explored signing Justin Duchscherer who has Major league experience and some good seasons under his belt. Perhaps looking within is the way to go, with young pitchers like Andrew Brackman, Ivan Nova, Dellin Bentances, and Daniel Turpen there is much to choose from and much to look forward to. Hopefully patience will be a virtue, and the Yankees will not be tempted into making any desperate moves to match the Red Sox bevy of off season acquisitions. Opening day will soon be upon us and one thing the Yankees can count on the the undying support the New York fans will show as they pursue title number 28.