Here We Go

Spring Training has come to an end and it is time for the real baseball season to kick off.  That's right ladies and gentleman Opening Day is upon us.  It is time to forget about the successes and failures of last year and put your best forward.  For the Yankees the goal is simple, raise a 28th championship banner and nothing else. reclaiming the top of the baseball mountain from the rival Boston Red Sox is the one and only priority.  The team is loaded with talent and should see a great deal of success this season, baring another disastrous year of injuries and underwhelming performances which plagued 2013.  It is sure to be a fun and emotional 162 games that includes the Derek Jeter career clock ticking down to its final days, bringing a trail of pinstriped tears with it for all who never though a year like this would come.  There are sure to be many moments to savor this year and hopefully it will end with a moment that will last through history, The captain raising the Commissioners Trophy one last time.

Getting Back on Track

2013 was a year to forget for all fans of professional athletics in New York City area as all of its teams did little or nothing for the 12 month period.  However, it seem that they has been listening to the harsh criticisms of the nation’s toughest fan base and are taking the necessary steps to improve their status amongst the people.  The Islanders are heading into a transition from the dilapidated Nassau Coliseum to the new confines of the Barclays Center, the current home of the recently emigrated Brooklyn Nets.  Hopefully it will allow the team to gather a new following and not to mention larger revenues. With their young roster and money to spend there could be some exciting hockey to look forward to in the near future.

The Yankees have undergone a facelift with the retirements of Yankee greats Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera, both significant losses to say the least. However, nothing has shaken the foundation of the Yankees more than the coming exit of team captain Derek Jeter, who announced that he will retire at seasons end. This has caused the team to seriously re-evaluate its future on a much grander scale. In response to all of this the Yankees dove deep into their very bloated pockets, spending $471 million in free agency to retool and forgoing their $189 million payroll plan. The list of those additions include Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran, Kelly Johnson, Brian Roberts, Matt Thornton, Japanese export Masahiro Tanaka, and former Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury.  Putting this kind of talent together has upped expectations in Yankee country, and the "Evil Empire" is poised to regain their rightful place atop the baseball world.

The New York Giants have undergone as similar makeover as the team did something most unprecedented, they spent money on young talent instead of trying to get value out of players who may never reach their potential.  After a season that saw the team begin 0-6, tying for the worst start in team history, coupled with missing the playoffs for the 4th time in five years it was clear changes had to be made.  The Giants long time offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride retired, allowing the team to bring in former Packers quarterbacks coach Ben McAdoo to spice things up.  This is a welcome change for many fans who felt the Giants offense had become predictable and boring.  The team then restructured the current contracts of Chris Snee and Steve Weatherford to free up cap space.  Unfortunately the Giants did endure loses of DE Justin Tuck, DT Linval Joseph, OL Kevin Boothe and WR Hakeen Nicks in order to give the team the edge it needed to get better.  The organization resigned veteran Linebacker Jon Beason who made a pretty big impact on the defense after being acquired in early October.  They also added former Ravens LB Jameel McClain to line up alongside Beason, shoring up what has been a very problematic area for a long time.  The other signing included OL John Jerry, S Quintin Demps, T Goeff Schwartz, RB Rashad Jennings, CB Walter Thurmond, CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, and the resigning of for WR Mario Manningham.  These moves have given loyal Giants fans renewed hope and optimism for next season which if all goes well could be a quite successful one.

As for the New York Knicks this season has been underwhelming at best.  After a 54 win season and division title last year, the team has tumbled backwards spending most of the year well under the .500 mark.  With team star and top scorer Carmelo Anthony announcing he will opt out of his current contract to explore free agency, the Knicks find themselves in a most urgent situation.  In order to bring forth a glimmer of hope and quell the ongoing negative sentiments, owner James Dolan hired legendary coach Phil Jackson as President of Basketball Operations.  Jackson will begin the daunting task of putting together a competitive and successful team that all New Yorkers can be proud to root for.  It will be up to him to make a plan that will reassure both the fans and the overbearing Dolan that the organization will be ready to make a great leap to the contender they have not been in over 15 years.