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.

One More Game

If you are a Yankees fan this world series could not have started any worse with a dominating performance by Cliff Lee coupled with the non-existent offensive attack of the Yankees...However everything has changed quite dramatically and it very much a credit to the resiliency the Yankees have shown all season long. A.J. was terrific in Game 2 which is exactly what was needed in response to Lee. Andy Pettite was as he always has been, a grinder. I feel that there is no one better in baseball at fighting through a shaky start and still pitching effectively for a win. though hits when needed have come with less regularity, they are coming in pressure situations when a spark is needed or the game is on the line. Alex Rodriguez only has 2 hits in 4 games, but with what they have meant to the team he might as well have 10. His two run home-run was an absolute game changer as we were down and poised to look very poor against a pitcher who had been struggling. Game 4 was a testament to what Rodriguez' post season has been like, he has come through late in the game with monumental hits when the team has to have it...try telling any Yankee from in the past 4 years that this was going to happen and they'd all think you are delusional. One player that has almost as surprising as Rodriguez has to be Demaso Marte, who if the fans had their way would have been designated for assignment in May for impersonating a good left handed pitcher. He has come in and done his job, all a manager can ask for.

Having Mariano Rivera is quite possibly the greatest advantage in all of Major League Baseball. many analysts have said that the Phillies hitters did a great job sending a message to Rivera in Game 2 by working him into a 39 pitch 6 out save. However Yankees fans would beg to differ simply because Mariano is the type of pitcher to answer a challenge by not only rising to the occasion, but excelling, that is why he is a future hall of famer and the greatest closer of all time. One cannot help but feel for Brad Lidge who has fallen from grace sooner that anyone anticipated after being perfect all of 2008. But I do digress as I now like all of Yankee Universe will be watching Game 5 with angst as the Yankees look to win their 27th championship, but it will not come easy with Cliff Lee going back to the hill with the Phillies season on the line, Let's all hope Burnett can duplicate his game 2 performance...It world mean the world to us all.

Going to The World Series

The ALCS is over and Yankees fans can celebrate as the Yankees have captured their 40th pennant as a franchise. Now it is on to the World Series where the defending Champion Phillies await. It should be a great series with two very evenly matched teams on all fronts, It will definitely come down to the pitching staffs to decide who will be champions. There's no doubt that all of the metropolitan area will have it's eyes on these games, though it might be tough for Mets fans to endure watching their two biggest rivals playing for it all. The quest for a 27th world championship is in it's final stage and The Yankees look determined to end the 9 year title drought, but it will have to be earned in a series that is sure to have lots of great baseball on display. Every Yankee fan will tune in tomorrow night to as they like all Yankees fans have been waiting for 6 years to cheer on the Yankees on the grandest stage of them all.

Game 2

Game 2 is in the books and it was a good one, for the average baseball fan it had everything you could have asked for. The Yankees pitching was very impressive in the way they handled the tough situations. Many fans are most likely looking for the real identity of the impostor that is dawning the #13 jersey as it has been senonomus with the word clutch all postseason long. Rodriguez can bask in the spotlight New York has shined on hm since the moment he put on the pinstripes, As far as what I've seen from him in the playoffs he might as well be the white knight coming to rescue whenever trouble befalls the kingdom. It was a long game that kept you on the edge of your seat as Ic an imagine every fan was sitting on each pitch made. I, like every Yankee fan in the world showed absolute elation as Hairston scored the winning run to secure another important victory. Now it's time to take the series to the west coast where Andy Pettite will take the mound hoping to match Sabathia and Burnett's great outings. Andy is considered by fan to be mr. reliable in the playoffs here's hoping that he can be exactly that for the Yankees monday afternoon.

Game 1

Game 1 is in the books and it went as well as you could have possibly hoped for the Yankees. I'll admit they were helped out by some uncharacteristic mistakes by the Angels, but they got the hits when they counted therefore capitalizing on those miscues. Outside of that there is one solitary reason for why the first game was a win for the Bombers....C.C. Sabathia. He pitched as great as you would expect an ace to do, and I must say that I was rather impressed with the command of the plate he had the entire game especially the usage of that changeup he was throwing. Good pitching can suppress scrappy teams like the Angels and that is the precedent the Yankees have to enforce upon the entire pitching staff so the other starters will follow Sabathia's lead. As much as it is great to get the first game, it is only game 1 and there is still much to do and every New Yorker knows the Yankees are not out of the woods yet with the team from Anaheim. The Bombers can celebrate this win for the time being but it's right back to work tomorrow night, just. The baton has now been passed to A.J. Burnett who will take on the same task of shutting down the potent Angels lineup. Let's all hope for the best as the Yankees look to take a small command of the series.

I watched Game 2 between the Dodgers and Phillies and I like many people thought the Phillies had the game in hand, but to no surprise the Dodgers made a comeback once Martinez was taken out of the game. Quite an inauspicious ending to a well pitched game on both ends. Look like this should be an interesting series.

On to the ALCS

The Yankees have given New York something that hasn't been seen in 4 years...a series win. The demons of past first rounds have been lifted of the conscience of the team and fans and not a moment too soon. This was a great effort all around, especially by one Alex Rodriguez. whoo would have thought after all of his struggles and mental cramps in clutch situations during October baseball he would be the one getting hit after hit in situations where he needed to come through. I certainly hope he can continue his hot, clutch hitting as the Yankees are going to need it when they take on those pesky Angels. They have given the Yankees fits for the last 7 years and that is the monket=y that the organization would like to solve in the postseason. The tremendous pitching from the staff will be absolutely crucial if there is going to be any hope of defeating the Angels and that cannot be stressed enough. I will say this the Yankees are going in prepared for a war with the winner obtaining a birth in the World Series. I'm looking forward to seeing how it will play out in the ALCS.