The Giants Must Do Better to Get Better

                           

The 2014 New York Giants finished off a year which saw the team miss the playoffs for the third consecutive season and fifth time in the last six. As they goes back to the drawing board, there are sure to be changes to the way they approach 2015.  It's never easy to go over all of the things that went wrong, but when you are in the same boat of disappointment as the Bears, Redskins, and Jets, it can make it all the more humbling. The Giants must find a way to get the team back to respectability and doing so will require them correct mistakes that have lingered too long.

                                          

Injuries - The Giants sent a total of 21 players to injured reserve this season, forcing them to bring in other teams scraps just to fill a roster spot.  While this is a common occurrence in a violent sport such as football, it is alarming to see so many players go down at the same rate as a front line battalion during the Civil War. The Giants need to place greater onus on strength and conditioning if they want to prevent this from ever happening again

                                         
                                                 
The Draft - Each year the Giants, like all other teams look to draft impact players that can both help the team immediately and create a solid foundation for the future.  However, that has not recently been the case as the Giants have tried to draft potential diamonds in the rough instead of picking sure talent (Odell Beckham Jr. being the exception).  This strategy has worked for the team in years past, but has now affected their ability to properly scout and draft the best players available to them.  The diamonds in the earth took billions of years to form, and I'm pretty certain the Giants don't have that kind of time to wait.
                                         
                                         
                         
Coaching - The team announced that head coach Tom Coughlin will be staying for the 2015 season and so will Ben McAdoo and his new offense.  This leaves defensive coordinator Perry Fewell's job in great jeopardy as the Giants were one of the worst defenses in the league.  Despite the vehement defending of Fewell from Coughlin, one has to believe his time has run very, very thin.  The team must find a coordinator that can not only get the most out of the defense, but reinvigorate a system that has parted like the Red Sea against most of the NFL.

The Top 5 moments in NY Sports 2014

5. Carmelo Anthony Scores 62
This was a defining moment in a turbulent year for the NY Knicks. Carmelo Anthony showed off his scoring ability and proved the type of player he is capable of being. Unfortunately, the team has given New York very little to be proud of this year, so this record breaking night is something fans will hold dearly to when reflecting on the year that was.


4. Phil Jackson Takes the Reigns
The tumultuous management of the Knicks has become an unfortunate staple of the team.  James Dolan's constant interference and questionable hiring practices made it apparent that the team would plunge further into the doldrums and stay the laughingstock of the NBA.  However, in 2014 a major change was made as Hall of Fame coach and former Knick Phil Jackson was brought in to the run the show. Not only does he give hope for the future, he brings a trustworthy basketball mind to an organization that has been devoid of such intelligence for far too long.



3. Rangers make the Stanley Cup Finals
Since 2001 New York has only seen two of its teams reach a championship series or game (Giants 2007, 2011 and the Yankees 2003, 2009).  Though it was nice to have these two teams reach the pinnacle of their respected sports, New York longed to see their more maligned teams get off the championship schnide.  The Rangers victory over the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference Finals sent the city abuzz with anticipation it had not had in over twenty years, something even an avid Islander fan like myself could respect.



2. Odell Beckham Jr's Incredible Catch
This catch not only showcased the talent of the Giants rookie wide receiver, it literally sent shock waves around the entire sports and social media world.  Odell Beckham Jr. placed the NFL on notice that he will certainly be the next best thing with one of the most outstanding catches you will ever see.

1. Derek Jeter's Final hit at Yankee Stadium
This moment will live forever in the minds and hearts of all Yankee fans.  Jeter's final season was one of memory and reflection of all he has brought to not only the Yankees but to the game of baseball. Though some have chosen to subdivide his career in an attempt to lessen his legacy, there is no doubting his place among the best players of all time.  His flare for the dramatics and ability to capture a moment is something that may be imitated one day, but never truly duplicated in the way Jeter always knew how.

  

Wild Ending to College Bowl Game

A normally meaningless bowl game provided us with quite the dramatics as Central Michigan rallied from a 36 point deficit against Western Kentucky.  The wild comeback was highlighted by the crazy hook and ladder Hail Mary which brought the CMU to within a point of forcing overtime.  However, the Chippewas went for a 2 point conversion which and up short and giving Hilltoppers the victory.


Here is the video of the wild Hail Mary play:

Stephen A Smith forced to wear Jerry Jones T-Shirt

Today on ESPN's First Take, Stephen A. Smith was forced to don an "I love Jerry Jones" shirt gear as part of a bet he had with his his co-host and frenemy Skip Bayless that the Colts would defeat the Cowboys.  I am sure many Giants, Eagles, and Redskins fans can feel his pain and humiliation.  

Adam SIlver: America's Favorite Commissioner

                                               
Ever since he took office, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has received loads of praise for his leadership, assertiveness, and pleasant demeanor and it is rightfully deserved.  Silver is a far cry from that of his counterparts; The NHL's Gary Betteman, the outgoing MLB Comissioner Bud Selig, and the highly beleaguered NFL leader Roger Goodell.  It's my hope that Mr. Silver continues to impress with his great attitude, which I feel has been missing league leaders for far too long.

Yankees trade Prado to Miami for Eovaldi and Jones

             

The Yanks nab an extra arm and bat, but sacrifice second base. What does this mean? Who takes over a second? What will they ultimately decide to do with Rodriguez? Only time will tell.

Holding Back

It appears the Yankees are choosing to make the off-season rather uneventful, making less spectacular signings and avoiding delving out big money to big players.  After spending over 400 million dollars in free agency last season them watching watching as those investments yielded no return, one can understand the teams hesitation.  It makes sense for the Yankee to hold off on creating contract logjams on their roster.  The fleeting farm system needs a big boost in major league ready talent. Continuously getting wrapped up in large contracts will cause that system to be ignored even further than it already is.  The true test for the Yankees will be if they can commit to this plan of action without being tempted to make any moves that could prove costly in the long run

A Work In Progress

The New York Knicks are in process of changing a a culture that has been both dismal and dysfunctional for many years.  As the team record stands at 4-14, it has become ever more apparent that the roster itself is flawed and in dire need of revamping.  However, this was to be expected as Phil Jackson made sure to not pin any hopes on this season until he has the chance to fully assess the situation. That is a far cry from the thought process of the Knicks seemingly befuddled owner James Dolan, who many blame for the teams failures over the past 15 years. The days of the overreaching trades and non existent draft picks are hopefully a thing of the past as they have plagued this organization for far too long.  Carmelo Anthony has shown a great deal of loyalty and patience for choosing to stay in New York while the process takes shape when he had ample opportunity to chase a ring elsewhere.  That is something that is not seen much in sports these days, but the presence of the zen master and his championship background certainly had a lot to do with it.

The season is not lost completely, but there is little chance that much success will come of it.  The Knicks future is in the eye of the beholder, or in this case the eye of the card holder (Jackson).  If Anthony and company can show patience and perseverance, the light at the end of the tunnel will show them a world that has not been seen in the Garden in over 40 years.