Harper vs Trout

Bryce Harper and Mike Trout both have burst onto the MLB scene with great success.  Even though they are both too young to legally drink a beer one thing is for sure, they can play with the big boys.  Such similar stories, being a top prospect, first round pick, play the outfield position, and both all stars in their rookie season.  Most people who follow baseball know about Bryce Harper.  This guy was on peoples radars when he was in high school, and his few minor league games were even must watch games.  He was the number one pick in the 2010 draft, taken by the Washington Nationals.  Mike Trout wasn't picked first, instead he was the 25th pick to the Anaheim Angels in 2009.  The expecations weren't as high, but both players were considered great prospects coming out of high school.

Bryce Harper is a big reason for one the biggest surprises in the MLB.  That is the Washington Nationals being in first place in he NL East.  Half way through Bryce Harper's first full season, his stats are .273AVG/ 8 HR's/ 25 RBI's/ 11 SB's. While hitting second in the lineup for the most part, Harper has been a little up and down but solid overall.  Considering these are stats at only the half way point of his first season, it's impressive.  If he keeps the pace up he can put up stats looking something like .280/ 20 HR's/ 55 RBI's/ 25 SB's.

Mike Trout on the other hand has not been up and down.  Just up. The Angels looked dead, and found themselves underachieving to say the least.  Trout was called up and now they are back in the playoff hunt.  Trout's stats thus far are, .349 AVG/ 12 HR/ 41 RBI/ 30 SB.  Those numbers are simply amazing.  You also have to think about two things when looking at Trout's numbers so far.  One, he hasn't even played the whole season because he was waiting to get called up from the minors.  Two, Trout is a leadoff hitter. Having 41 RBI's is insane for a leadoff hitter in less than a half of a season.  To put it in perspective Derek Jeter has twenty more hits than Trout because he has played the entire season, yet has  15 less RBI.  If Trout keeps a similar pace he will end up with stats around .350 AVG/ 30 HR/ 90 RBI/ 60 SB. Trout is already one of the most fun players to watch in the game.

Me personally I would take Trout over Harper now and also in the future.  Some reasons are outside of the actual game.  People who know Trout say this guy has an even better head on his shoulders than he has talent on the field.  He is a great kid who doesn't seem to do much wrong.  His idol growing up in New Jersey was Derek Jeter, coincidence? I think not. The guy is humble and just wants to win.

Harper surprisingly has not made sports news for the right reasons since entering the league.  His first mistake was in the minors.  After hitting a home run in a minor league baseball game last year, he starred it down and styled like it was a game winning home run in the world series.  That rubbed people the wrong way.  Then early this year he was asked by a reporter if he was going to have a drink in Canada since he was old enough.  He rudely replied, "That's a clown question, bro."  Later in this season he split his face open after breaking his bat because he recorded an out.  He was bleeding and had to be cleaned up.  He has a reputation for snapping his bat, as he has done this more than a couple times.  The last reason Harper made the news was just yesterday.  Him and always controversial coach Ozzie Guillen got into a little argument over how high his pine tar was on his bat.  The next time he was up he pointed the bat at Guillen as to say, "Is this alright with you?".  Guillen then blew a fuse after that cocky gesture.

Harper just doesn't rub me the right way, and it's tough comparing him to Trout because it seems impossible to not love the way Trout goes about his business.  At the end of the day however, both of these guys are great for baseball.  Long successful careers look to be in both of these kids futures.  But they might not be as similar as you think.

Something Needs to Change

Too many times recently sporting events have been decided by people other than the athletes participating.  I'm talking about the refs, officials, judges, and umpires that are in control of these games.  This has given me an idea that I believe every sport should look into.  Make post game press conferences mandatory for all refs, officials, judges, and umpires.  Every game that is played for a professional athlete whether they play great, or really poor they have to talk to the media and explain themselves.  Why don't theses guys have to do that? Why should they get a free pass?

Not too long ago there was one of the most controversial judging decisions in the sport of boxing.  Manny Pacquiao fought Timothy Bradley and everyone who knows anything about boxing had Pacquiao winning somewhere around 10 of the 12 rounds fought.  The decision came in at the end of the fight and two judges had Bradley winning the fight.  Pacquiao was robbed to put it simply.




Another case I have for my proposed idea happened in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals.  In a game where the Devils had all the momentum, and also needed a win the game was decided early in the first period by bad officiating.  In that period, the refs missed a boarding penalty that the NHL has been very strict about seen on the right. Gionta was without the puck which makes it an obvious penalty.  Instead the penalty was not called and literally 10 seconds later the Devils got called for a five minute major for boarding.  Both were penalties and only one was called.  On that five minute penalty the Kings scored three goals and the game was over thanks to the official that missed the call.

These poor decisions can't go without explanation.  I understand that these guys are humans and nobody is going to make the right call all the time, but there have been many times in sports where you need answers.  Something wasn't right in that Stanley Cup game, something wasn't right when Timothy Bradley was quoted before the decision saying, "I tried hard, but I couldn't beat the guy"; only to find out that the judges had him somehow winning the fight.  The suspicious calls especially when they are constantly against one team can't go without media getting to the bottom of things.  Sometimes it will be as easy as someone saying I made an honest mistake, and other times there might be a little bit more to the story.

I think that this will fix a lot of complaints that people have about officials in sports.  And the complaints are growing.  If an official knows in the back of his mind, man I gotta do my best or I have to explain to everyone on national T.V why I made this decision.  There will be much less suspicion about games being fixed and I don't think that these guys will have the guts to be ruining games, seasons, and championships.  Let's make it happen.

Western Conference Final Preview

The Spurs and the Thunder are polar opposites in many ways.  One team lead by old veterans, the other lead by the young and athletic Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.  One team has a head coach in Greg Popovich with tons of experiance and respect, the other team has Scott Brooks a coach trying to prove himself.  One team thrives on ball  movement, while the other gets energy from highlight plays.

In my opinion this NBA Playoffs has not been that exciting.  I can honestly say this is the first series that I am very excited for.  Before the Playoffs started I picked them to win the title.  This Spurs team has it all. So my pick for this series is obviously the Spurs, in 6.

  What to Watch - Kawhi Leonard - If you don't know who Kawhi Leonard is, you will at the end of the series.  This rookie has been impressive in his first year, specifically on the defensive end.  He will have the unlucky assignment of trying to stop Kevin Durant.  Now nobody stops Kevin Durant, but I think the six foot seven forward can slow him down.  The 20 year old is very long, and he is not afraid of the challenge.  

Key Matchup - Point Guard - This is a huge part of this series, Tony Parker vs Russell Westbrook.  Whoever outplays the other will give their team a great chance to win.  It will be very important to keep Tony Parker out of the paint. Parker is so good at finishing at the rim and his mid range jump shot has become deadly.  On the other end Russell Westbrook needs to keep his turnovers down.  If he turns the ball over often they will have no shot against the Spurs in this series.

That being said, I just trust the veterans on this Spurs team.  I trust Tony Parker to play better than Russell Westbrook.  That's why I got the Spurs in 6.

Mike "Doc" Emrick

 Now that the battle of the Hudson river has come to a close, I wanted to talk about something other than the athletes that determined the outcome of the series.  Mike "Doc" Emrick was the play by play announcer for the entire Eastern Conference Finals.  This is nothing new for Doc as he has done many big games before.  Watch the video I have posted above first with your volume off.  Then with it on.  Take a listen to the Hall of Famer describe the frantic action.  Yes, I said Hall of Famer. Doc is in the the hockey Hall of Fame having played zero games in the NHL, that's how special he is.  The first hockey play by play announcer to do so.  I find it to be amazing what a difference it makes with the sound off and then on.  All of that is because of Emrick.

As the goal is scored Doc says "They score! Henrique! It's over!".  Something so simple yet if you gave me 100 attempts to say something different, or make it more exciting I would fail.  I think anyone would.  Mike Emrick is my favorite play by play guy in any sport, I am looking forward to his calls in this years Stanley Cup Finals as well, go Devils!

Flopping

Mention the word "flopping" to the tough 90's NBA players and guys like Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, and Shaquille O'Neal might not know what you're talking about.  In today's NBA, you can't go a game without a ton of "flops".  To quickly explain, a flop is an over reaction to minor contact to fool a referee and draw a foul.  This is becoming a huge issue in today's game.  The biggest problem is that it is led by today's best players.

        LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Paul Pierce, Manu Ginobli, Carmelo Anthony, I could go on and on. These are the guys who are playing the game the wrong way.  They take advantage of their status in the NBA knowing they will get a foul call if they go crashing to the floor.  There is no longer a good pace to the game.  You can no longer go two possessions in a row without a whistle being blown.

        Comissioner David Stern finally said in an interview during the Heat Pacers game yesterday that they might have to look into not only fining but also suspending for flops next season.  This is a suggestion that I have talked about all season long.  I for one can't stand the way some of the NBA's best players play the game. They need to watch some film on the NBA in the 1990's.  Learn what the word toughness means, learn about manning up, and playing the right way.

It is truly embarrassing to the game of basketball when guys like the three time MVP LeBron James quickly grabs at his neck acting like he got a hard elbow from Pacer forward David West, and then you watch the replay and he wasn't even touched.  This happened in yesterdays game, and it happens all the time.  Not only that but the complaining and whining of players has to stop as well.  Players will commit an obvious foul and then go crazy as if he did nothing wrong.  Knock it off we have cameras guys! I for one am almost at the point where I can't watch it anymore.  I really hope David Stern takes a long look at the way the game is being officiated.

Eastern Conference Finals : NHL

In two hours the puck will drop to start the Eastern Conference Finals.  Devils vs. Rangers.  Bragging rights will be up for grabs for people in the New York, New Jersey area.  Ranger fans have not been shy about reminding Devil fans (me) about how they finished in first place in the East.  Of course, seeds mean nothing in the NHL.  The Ottawa Senators were one game away from making the 5, 6, 7, and 8 seeds advance in the first round.

Looking at this series there is a lot to look forward to.  First of course is the goaltending matchup.  You have 40 year old Martin Brodeur for the Devils.  This guy has done it all, won every award, broke a ton of records, and hoisted a few Cups as well.  Some say he is no where near what he used to be and that he is too old to get it done.  Knowing what kind of guy Brodeur is this will motivate him.  He will also notice people paying more attention to the opposing goalie, this deservingly so, and that will get him going as well.  I am looking for a huge series from Marty.

At the other end is Henrik Lundqvist.  Lundqvist is finally coming up big in the playoffs.  Ranger fans have waited a couple years for him to step up the way he is.  Lundqvist is having an amazing Playoff run giving up less than two goals a game.  Lundqvist is dieing to get that monkey off his back and lift a Stanley Cup of his own.  This would be a big time statement if he out played Martin Brodeur in this series.

Looking at these two teams there are a lot of similarities.  Both tough teams, both have good coaching, both don't have a ton of offensive threats, but both teams have got it done so far.  The stars for each team must come big, but I think it will be the play of the third and fourth lines that might make a difference.  The Rangers shut down Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, while the Devils shut down Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell.  Both teams have the ability to control the other teams top line so whatever team gets the most production from maybe lines two and three might take this series.  I am so excited for this series it should be a great one! That being said... LET'S DROP THE PUCK!

My Prediction - Devils in 7. Marty will show Lundqvist what game 7's are really all about.

Knicks Season in Review

The New York Knicks began the season talking Championship.  They finished the season coming far from that goal.  The Knicks were bounced out of the first round in 5 games by the Miami Heat.  This season was about as up and down as one can get.  Starting with the slow start from Carmelo, to the Jeremy Lin era, to the emergence of sharp shooter Steve Novak, to the signing of the streaky J.R Smith.  There was never consistent play from the Knicks, instead it was full of winning and losing streaks.  High hopes, and scary lows.  I am going to give every player a season grade (based on expectations), and look ahead to what looks to be a very important offseason for the New York Knicks.

Carmelo Anthony – (B) His grade isn’t too high because he struggled early.  The Knicks slow start was the reason why they had to face the Heat in the first round.  His grade isn’t too low because he carried the Knicks late, and was the Eastern Conference Player of the Month in the last and most crucial month in April. Carmelo needs to come back to camp in much better shape if he wants to seriously go after a Championship.

Amare Stoudemire – (D+) He receives a max contract, but doesn’t give max effort.  He can be a great offensive player when healthy, but his lack of effort on the defensive side of the ball is hard to watch.  I’m beginning to think it may not only be effort, but also that he simply doesn’t have the instincts to be a good defensive player.  He also injured himself in the playoffs for the second straight year.  Last year it was Amare trying to pull off a highlight dunk in warm-ups, and this year punching through glass containing a fire extinguisher.

Tyson Chandler – (A-) Yes this is a high grade for a guy who doesn’t have much of an offensive game.  However this guys attitude, effort, and leadership is amazing.  Oh and don’t forget he won Defensive Player of the Year, something no Knick has ever done.  I’m sure he will work on his offense and try to add a mid range jumper to his game next year.

Jeremy Lin – (A+) Yes an A+, don’t forget I am doing these grades based off expectations!  This guy was one day away from being released from the Knicks before coming off the bench against the Nets and putting on a show.  Lin is truly an amazing story; I wish he would have been available in the playoffs.  I expect the same production and then some next year from Lin.

Steve Novak – (A) What a find this guy was for the Knicks.  Novak led the NBA in 3 point percentage making 47 percent from downtown.  This guy had the Garden gasping for air every time he took a shot.  I hope to see the discount double check back in a Knicks uniform next year although that is un likely after his breakout year.

J.R Smith – (C-) Joined the team late after finishing his season in China.  I found myself saying he will get hot eventually, and that time never came.  He seemed to hit the three’s during times when it didn’t matter. Then in big games he would shoot often, and miss often. Disappointing to say the least.

Landry Fields- (C-) Coming off of an unexpected strong rookie season, Fields did not improve his game much this year.  His points, rebounds, and shooting percentage all went down, while his turnovers per game went up.  His line drive shot needs a lot of help.  Alan Houston began working with him at the end of the year, he needs his help this summer as well.

Iman Shumpert- (B+) Iman had a very solid rookie campaign.  His hounding defense is so valuable to this team that lacks perimeter defenders.  He was 2^nd among rookies in steals per game behind Ricky Rubio.  He has some work to do as far as decision making, and shooting, but his shooting improved as the season went on.

Josh Harrellson- (B+) Just like Landry Fields, the 2^nd round pick out of Kentucky did not have much expectations coming out of college.  He impressed me with his defense and toughness.  On the offensive end he has a nice touch around the basket, and can also knock down open jumpers.

Toney Douglas- (F) Started the year as the starting point guard and that didn’t last long.  A shooting guard in a point guards body, Douglas doesn’t have the ability to run an offense.  His confidence is very low, and he became Mike Bibby’s water boy by seasons end (which says a lot).

Other Knicks include:

Jared Jeffries- (B-) , Baron Davis (C+) , Mike Bibby (C-) , Bill Walker (D+) , Jerome Jordan (no grade)

If I Was GM of the Knicks I Would…

-Look to trade Amare.  His time in New York might have to come to an end after the scene he made slicing his hand open in anger.  He is not an attractive guy across the league which makes it tough.  If a deal came up along the lines of Luis Scola and Goran Dragic for Amare Stoudemire, Landry Fields and some cash I would do it in a heartbeat.

-Sign Jeremy Lin.  This is an easy one. He is a restricted free agent and should be back with the Knicks next year.

-Let J.R walk.  He is more into putting on a show then putting in the dirty work to win games.  Not enough good coming from him in my opinion.

-Give Landry a chance.  This means re sign the restricted free agent.  Many Knick fans are frustrated with Landry but you can’t forget it was only his second year.  His instincts, defense, and ability to rebound can be valuable to this team.

-Somehow, somehow keep Steve Novak.  Don’t know how it would work, don’t have the exact numbers, but I hear Novak most likely will not be back with the Knicks.  Don’t let that happen.

-Give Steve Nash a call.  Although he will most likely stay in Phoenix, a call won’t hurt.  Cap space is a problem when entertaining this idea.  Not if the Knicks trade Amare (hint..hint).

Carmelo To the Rescue

Not too long ago, Carmelo Anthony was the number one worry for most Knicks fans.  He was on his way back from an injury, and the Knicks were playing great while he was out.  I blogged two months ago  about how pathetic Knicks fans were that said he was going to "ruin the team".  I can proudly say I have been a supporter of Carmelo Anthony since day one.  Even as fans questioned if he was a "superstar", and analysts began to say he is too selfish.

The Knicks found themselves almost out of the playoff picture.  Amare Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin were both out for an extended time, so who do you look to? Carmelo Anthony.

It seems crazy to say but the last eleven games have had a must win feel to it. The end of the season is right around the corner now, but looking back the Knicks needed these games badly.  In these huge games Carmelo has scored at least 30 points in seven of the eleven games.  He is also averaging over 30 points per game in the same span. Listed below are some of the biggest games of the season for the Knicks.  With a playoff bid up for grabs, and the Knicks relying heavily on Carmelo, lets see how he did.

April 8th Bulls @ Knicks - 43 Points, 7 Rebounds, 3 Assists. He hit the game tying three with 11.2 seconds left in regulation. Then hit a game winning three with 8.2 seconds left in Overtime (pictured above,Melo said it was one of the biggest shots of his career). This was a huge statement win for the Knicks. Knicks win 100-99.

April 11th Knicks @ Bucks - 32 Points, 10 Rebounds, 2 Assists. Against the team who was right behind them trying to take their spot in the playoffs Melo came up with a huge double double. Knicks win 111-107.

April 15th Heat @ Knicks - 42 Points, 9 Rebounds, 5 Assists. This might be the first round matchup for the Knicks and they played ok, but it wasn't enough.  Hopefully hanging tight with Miami will give them confidence. Knicks lose 93-85.

April 17th Celtics @ Knicks - 35 Points, 12 Rebounds, 10 Assists, 2 Steals. Yes a triple double, in a game the Knicks had to win to keep hopes of winning a division alive. Knicks win 118-110.

April 18th Knicks @ Nets - 33 Points, 7 Rebounds, 4 Assists. Melo couldn't be stopped early scoring 18 points in the first 6 minutes of the game.  If he wasn't double teamed every possession after that scoring burst he could have scored 50. Knicks win 104-95.

These were some of the biggest games for the Knicks here at the end of the season.  Carmelo Anthony is the biggest reason why the Knicks have won eleven of the past fourteen games.  He is stepping his defensive game up big time, and is also showing great leadership.

With the Knicks getting a low seed in this years playoffs they seem to be peaking at the right time.  Melo is completely healthy something that wasn't the case earlier in the season.

I just find it so funny that guys are now going back to the comments said before, saying how dangerous Melo is.  Charles Barkley was quoted after the Celtics game saying he is the best scorer in the league.  I also think it's funny how the same fans that said Melo would ruin the team, are the same people that will be rooting for him now in the playoffs to hit clutch shot after clutch shot.  And if I had to put my money on it, I'll bet it's going in.

Yankees Season Preview

Coming off of a disappointing 2011 first round playoff exit, the Yankees look to rebound in 2012 to claim it's 28th World Series Championship.  It was somewhat of a quiet offseason for the usually very active Bronx Bombers.  The biggest move being the aquisition of the hard throwing right handed Michael Pineda.  The Yankees did have to send young stud Jesus Montero to Seattle in return.  The Yankees also finally parted ways with A.J Burnett, which means they will need to find someone else to throw pies in players faces during post game interviews.  The best signing this offseason was snagging veteran Hiroki Kuroda from Los Angeles to stabalize the rotation.  The question for me is when will the age of the Yankees finally catch up to them.  I'm now going to go over the strengths, weaknesses, x factors, and predictions for the New York Yankees in 2012.

Strengths - Pitching Depth - The Yankees come into the season with a very solid pitching staff.  For the starters, Freddy Garcia has won the 5th spot in the rotation due to Michael Pindea being put on the DL.  If Andy Pettitte and Michael Pineda can both be guys that need to be in the rotation, the Yankees will have seven starters for five spots.  The Yankees pitching depth is also solid in the bullpen.  Even though Joba Chamberlain recently suffered a very severe ankle dislocation, I think the pen will be solid.  Mariano Rivera, David Robertson, and Rafael Soriano is as stable of a 9th, 8th, and 7th inning crew as you will find.  Boone Logan also adds a lefty specialist option for the team.

Weakness - Age of position players - Last year the Yankees were one of the best run producing lineups in baseball.  They did this by relying heavily on the long ball.  Robinson Cano was the only player in the lineup to bat .300 or higher.  With that being said, I don't think this will change with every guy being a year older.  Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and Nick Swisher are all guys that are going to need to be DH'd throughout the year sporadically.  The Yankees trading away their top prospect Jesus Montero doesn't help the age either.  The 22 year old looks like he is going to have a hell of a career with his great opposite field power. Unless Alex Rodriguez's knee surgery works wonders like it did for Kobe Bryant, (who had the same surgery) this lineup won't be as scary as it looks on paper.

Pitching X Factor - Ivan Nova -  Nova recorded 16 wins in only 27 starts last year for the Yankees.  His 3.70 ERA was also solid in his first year being a consistent guy in the rotation.  Nova will be a huge factor in whether the Yankees rotation will be very strong, or just about average.  I see Nova making even more strides this season, adding to the depth of the rotation.

Offensive X Factor - Brett Gardner - The speedy Gardner can be a huge headache for teams when he is on base.  The problem is he has to get on base to be that headache.  For a guy who gets so many hits from his speed alone, a .259 batting average is not good enough.  Gardner should be more around .300 and 100 runs year in and year out.  With the Yankees lacking speed to begin with, Gardner's progression as an every day outfielder is huge to the Yankees.  Look for Gardner to raise his average from last year, while stealing at least 50 bases.  That is the spark Yankees manager Joe Girardi wants to see out of Gardner.

Predicion - My prediction for the 2012 New York Yankees is an American League East Championship.  I see it being a tight race for the division, but the Yankees have been there before, and they have enough talent to take this division.  I don't see a World Series for this team however.  The Yankees will lose to Albert Pujols and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the ALCS.  The Yankees do have to stay healthy of course.  Pineda being a prime example of health issues, Girardi did not sound to up beat when talking about Pineda's struggles in an article on ESPN New York.  He was quoted saying this,


"There was always that curiosity, you know, why isn't it going up higher, and as you're looking for answers we're looking, too, trying to figure out why isn't the velocity where it was last year Is it the innings, is he just not ready to turn it loose, you know, what is it? None of us are ever really going to know but right now, he's shut down and we'll get him back as soon as we can.'"

Who knows what the Yankees will get out of Pineda this year, but if he continues to have shoulder issues the Yankees front office will be heavily criticized for trading away the best hitting prospect in the organization for him.

One last bold prediction is that Robinson Cano will be the American League MVP.  Cano was in the running for MVP last season, but he slumped ever so slightly at the end of the year.  Justin Verlander won last year as a starting pitcher, something that is rarely done.  Cano has improved his stats every year as a pro, I see him having a monster season.  He is capable of having a .340, 30 HR, 120 RBI kind of year.  If he does that at the second base position, he will be taking home the hardware.

Knicks Limping to the Finish Line

With only 15 games left in the NBA season, I'm going to tell you why the Knicks are going to win the Atlantic Division.  Amare Stoudemire, Jarred Jeffries, Jeremy Lin, Bill Walker, and Carmelo Anthony are all dealing with some kind of injury, so why would I think this?

The current standings have the Philadelphia 76ers in first place.  The Boston Celtics tied with the same record of (28-22) in second. The Knicks find themselves third, two and a half games back, with a record of (26-25).

Let's start with Philadelphia.  This team started the season on fire with a record of (18-7).  The Sixers have lost their winning ways going (8-15) since February 15th.  A team once under the radar became a team with a bullseye on their chest.  Although the schedule is the most favorable out of the three teams battling for the division title, I don't see the Sixers being able to hang on to first place.

The Boston Celtics are tied with Philadelphia for first but they have issues that they have to think about that they can't even control.  That would be their brutal schedule.  Take a look at the teams the Celtics have to play to start the month of April. This is in order, (Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat (again), Atlanta Hawks).  If you haven't already noticed, the Celtics will play seven straight games against teams above .500.  I can easily see the Celtics winning only one of those seven games to start the month.

Now to the Knicks.  Since the firing of Mike D'Antoni the Knicks are (8-1).  They also have not let up 90 points to their opponent 8 out of those 9 games.  Defense and accountability are two things that interim head coach Mike Woodson have been preaching.  Amare Stoudemire has a bulging disk in his back and will likely be out for four weeks.  This is not a big deal in my opinion.  Amare looks like he has lost the hop in his step all season long.  It could be his knees that everyone knows were an issue the day the Knicks signed Stoudemire.  His defense is below average to put it nicely and the Knicks are much better defensively without him.  Another interesting note is that the Knicks are (8-1) when Stoudemire doesn't play.  The Knicks might be finding their game at the right time of the year.  Coach Woodson has a huge task at hand with this team, but I do think they will finish first in the Atlantic.

Winning the Atlantic Division is a big deal for these three teams because it will give them the four seed in the playoffs.  That means avoiding the two power house teams Miami and Chicago.  It will certainly be an exciting race to the finish line.

Devils Clarkson Making Huge Strides

Before the start of the Devils season, David Clarkson was known as an energy guy.  Every team in the NHL has them.  When your team is playing flat and uninspired hockey, your energy guy drops his gloves hoping to re focus the team.  He takes his five minutes in the penalty box, and hopefully landed some solid punches in his fight.  Clarkson once had 183 penalty minutes in one season which was one of the highest in the NHL.  That season in 82 games, Clarkson only scored nine goals.  His career high in goals was 17 in 2009.

This season is a completely different story for Clarkson.  He can no longer lead the NHL in penalty minutes because he needs to be on the ice for the Devils.  With four games left to play in the regular season Clarkson has set a career high in goals, assists, points, shots, and game winning goals.  Clarkson has taken his game from the bully, to one of the top goal scores on the team.  With 29 goals this season, Clarkson looks to hit 30 goals for the first time in his career.  If you would have told me that Clarkson would only be four goals behind super star goal scorer Ilya Kovalchuk in goals at the end of the season I would think you're crazy.  This guy always seems to be in the right place at the right time.  He is a dominant puck possession winger along the boards, and he has increased dramatically in his puck handling skills.  It is really nice to see his game come full circle in his sixth NHL season.  As a Devils fan, I would love to see this guy continue this play into the playoffs, which is in only 2 weeks.  Six game winning goals for the right winger which is the highest on the team, Clarkson is one of the most valuable forwards on the team, and now its not just because of his right hook.

Best Game I Ever Saw

A highly respected play by play announcer, Al Michael’s was quoted during the game saying, “You bring this script to the studio, and they throw it out, I mean this is like fantasy”.  On December 21^st, 2003 Brett Favre’s father, mentor, and closest friend in life died of a heart attack.  His Packers had a game on one of the biggest stages in football, which is Monday Night, the very next day.  Nobody thought Brett would be able to play, but Brett said it took him only 5 minutes to decide he wanted to play.

Coming into the game nobody knew what to expect.  The only thing people could imagine was that Brett would have a hard time running an NFL offense under these circumstances.  The thing I will never forget as a fan watching from my couch was Brett running through the tunnel as he was announced, slapping all of his teammate’s hands.  Every hair on my body was standing up.  The fact that he was there for his teammates in a time like this was amazing to me.

Favre started the game 6 for 6 with two touchdowns against the Oakland Raiders that night.  Touchdown pass after touchdown pass, it just seemed like tonight was going to be his night.  The score was 31-7 at the end of the half.  Favre was 22/30 with 399 yards passing, four touchdowns and zero interceptions.  In a game where the Packers needed a win to keep its playoff hopes alive, Favre had a perfect night.  The final score was 41-7.  People involved with the game felt that if it was a close game Brett would have had a couple more touchdown throws.  A side story in all of this was the Oakland crowd.  Oakland fans are known to be the most brutal, in your face fans in all of football.  On this night they were clapping and cheering for Favre after every score.  Something that I don’t think will happen for an opposing player ever again.  Nobody would have thought that only a day after his father passing away, he would be able to have one of his greatest games, in Oakland, on Monday Night Football.  

Sometimes a game is much more than just a game.  For Brett, who knows how much he was thinking about the actual game.  He just wanted to make his father proud of the way he played, and I think he did that.  It was almost like he wasn’t upset at all during the game, like those three hours kept him from grieving about his loss. After the game was final, he was hunched over at his locker with both palms on his forehead, crying his eyes out.  This was the best game I ever saw.

Mike D'Antoni out, Phil Jackson in?

The news today in Knicks nation is that Coach Mike D'Antoni has resigned as the head coach.  This has been something that Knicks fans including myself have been begging for all year long.  The Knicks were giddy about the roster coming into the season, and were talking about winning a Championship in preseason interviews.  They find themselves six games under .500 and out of the playoff picture.

Why didn't D'Antoni fit?  Coach D'Antoni is a brilliant offensive coach, some consider him a genius at what he does offensively.  But for Knicks fans who only remember the winning ways of toughness, tenacity, effort, and most of all defense, led by Patrick Ewing and company years ago, the patience was not there.  D'Antoni did not hold stars Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire accountable for their efforts on the defensive end.  To D'Antoni's defense, which is ironic, he didn't want the trade for Carmelo Anthony to happen in the first place.  He got a player who was not going to fit into what D'Antoni wanted on offense which is spacing and ball movement.  At the end of the day Carmelo was a huge reason for the resignation of D'Antoni.  He never bought into what D'Antoni was teaching and D'Antoni doesn't have the personality to punish Carmelo for doing so.

Phil Jackson who retired last year is being mentioned as the replacement for the Knicks next season.  This is a guy who would not put up with anyone not doing what he says.  He would hold everyone accountable and can also coach star players.  Winning titles with Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant proves that.  One more thing is that Phil Jackson seems to have a bigger ego than Carmelo Anthony, something that is hard to find.  Phil seems to be the perfect fit, the question is now does he have the desire to come back and coach.  Some say that if there is one place that he would come out of retirement for it would be New York.

Marty or Mo?

With spring training getting started for all MLB teams, the question was brought up to Mariano Rivera of how much longer he would be able to play.  Rivera gave an answer that seems to me like he might be playing his last year.  Martin Brodeur is facing a lot of the same questions from reporters as his numbers get less impressive, and his age increases.  Both guys are arguably the best to ever play at their respective positions.  So who is better at what they do, Marty or Mo?

Mariano Rivera holds the record for saves with 603 (17 seasons).  A 12 time all-star, and five time World Series Champion, Mo is regarded as one of the most dominant relief pitchers ever.  In his seven World Series, Rivera posted an ERA of 0.00 for the entire series four times.  Pitching over 1,000 innings, Mo has only given up 54 home runs in relief.  He also has won Rolaids Relief Man Award (best reliever) five times.

In Martin Brodeur's 19 year career, he has won the Stanley Cup three times.  He has made the playoffs an astounding 17 of his 19 years as a Devil.  He leads the NHL in wins, shutouts, and games played.  Brodeur is also the only goalie to win 40 times eight different seasons.  He won the Vezina Trophy (best goalie) four times.  While adding ten all star appearances.

This is such a tough argument because you could easily go with either guy.  Both great professionals, great teammates, and dominant athletes.  I'm going to have to go Martin Brodeur on this one.  This guy literally changed the game of hockey.  They had to change the rules with the lines made behind the net showing where goalies can handle the puck.  Before the rule change other teams were worried about changing because Marty would quickly skate to the corner of the ice and fire an accurate pass to an attacking teammate.  Although the closer role is not an easy position it's not a position that is relied on as much as goaltending.  You also can't find great goalies that easily and if you don't have one you don't have a good chance of winning anything.  Great closers come and go pretty often, obviously not with the longevity and consistency of Mariano Rivera, but they are around.  And you don't really need a great closer to contend year after year like you need a goalie in hockey. What do you think?

Twitter : Who To Follow

It's hard to find a professional athlete that is worth following on Twitter. Most athletes either don't have an account, don't use their account, or have someone tweet for them.  I came up with a list of my ten favorite athletes to follow and list the reasons why.  I tried, (I said TRIED) to stay away from the obvious big name athletes and give you some surprising less known names.  Some big name guys as you will see just had to make the list.

1.  Landry Fields - @landryfields - 2,900 Tweets

Starting Shooting Guard for the New York Knicks.  Landry is not going to be someone who tweets a lot, in fact he almost never answers any fans.  He doesn't re-tweet the fans begging for it, but when he tweets it usually is of some importance. He is very funny to follow too, often joking around and showing comical videos of himself.  During the season he is less active on his account but still worth the follow.

 2. Mark Ingram - @Mark_Ingram28 - 4,700 Tweets

Running back for the New Orleans Saints.  Mark Ingram is nothing like Landry, he answers his fans very often.  He actually answered me twice before, (I had to pretend to be a Saints fan for the first one).  Ingram tweets often and tweets about other sports a lot.  He asks his followers for opinions and answers the best replies.  Ingram likes Rap music, often tweeting his favorite new rap lyrics.

 3. Terrell Thomas - @TerrellThomas24 -10,200 Tweets

Starting Corner Back for the New York Giants. Don't know who Terrell Thomas is? Here's a quick fact, Thomas had more tackles and interceptions in his 2010 season than Darrell Revis had the past two seasons combined. Thomas is a great follow!  He gives trivia questions about him and his teammates and whoever answers him first gets free tickets.  I have tried many times and have failed to win one of his trivia questions, but it's fun to give a try.  Very active with his fans and gives detail about his every day life.

 4. Brandon Phillips - @DatDudeBP - 4,900 Tweets

Starting second baseman for the Cincinnati Reds.  Phillips is just hilarious.  One of the greatest personalities in sports today.  He answers a ton of fans and is just fun to follow.  He is more active during the baseball season surprisingly.  He re-tweets fans, replies, does it all.  Phillips also gives the inside scoop on his daily routine.

 5. Jared Dudley - @JaredDudley619 - 10,000 Tweets

Starting Forward for the Phoenix Suns.  Dudley is another guy who loves his fans.  If he wants to know something he seems to simply ask his followers.  After a tough loss this year Dudley went to his fans and simply asked what they thought the team was doing wrong.  You don't see many athletes this interactive with fans.  He took the most honest answers and told his followers that he agreed with them.  He also gave away free tickets to whoever designed him a new profile picture for his account. Well worth the follow.

6.Prince Amukamara-@PrinceAmukamara-3,000Tweets

Rookie Corner for the New York Giants.  Prince is another guy who is just fun to follow.  He gives ten minutes whenever he can to answer as many fan questions as possible.  He tells his fans to fire away and will answer any question including when his first kiss was, he claimed it was in kindergarten.  Very active too with his fans and asks for advice like, where is the best place to go for pizza? Or even, What car dealership should I go to in New York for a new car?

7. Joba Chamberlain - @Joba_62 - 3,100 Tweets

Relief Pitcher for the New York Yankees.  Joba is another great character.  If you don't like the Rangers you might get a little annoyed with his proud New York Ranger fan tweets.  He is another guy who loves his fans.  I had a conversation with him via Twitter about how he needs some more followers.  He has gained thousands since then so maybe he took my words seriously.  

 8. Jamal Crawford - @JCrossover - 7,000 Tweets

Starting Shooting Guard for the Portland Trail Blazers.  Jamal is very new to Twitter with his account being only months old.  As you can see with his tweet count he has no problem tweeting.  Jamal likes to talk to his fans after games, so with him living in Portland his tweets come very late at night.  When he was a free agent this summer he would re-tweet his fans of people begging him to come play for a certain team.  He talks to other famous athletes over twitter also which is always fun to see.

 9. Reggie Bush - @Reggie_Bush - 2,700 Tweets

Starting Running Back for the Miami Dolphins.  Reggie doesn't tweet too often but he does tweet some interesting things.  He lets his followers know when he is watching sports, and always admires, and gives credit to athletes who are doing well.  He has an insane amount of followers at over 2 million, so I guess it's no secret that he deserves a follow.

10.  LeBron James - @KingJames - 2,400 Tweets

I know I said I was going to stay away from the big name athletes but lets be honest here, you can't not follow LeBron James.  This man gets criticized for everything he says, and analysts even bash him for some of his tweets.  LeBron is obviously a great follow.  He talks about how his team should get better, and even admires other basketball players performances (Kendrick Perkins was not a fan of this).  LeBron had to make the list

Just Blame Carmelo, Right?

Let me start with this, I am a huge Knicks, Giants, Yankees, and Devils fan.  I am proud to be a fan of all these teams except for one team, the Knicks.  Not because of how they play, but because how pathetic most Knick fans are. 

The Knicks lost last night to the New Jersey Nets in Carmelo Anthony's return from a pulled groin.  The media has been all over the fact that the Knicks have done great without him.  Knick fans are saying that when he comes back he is going to, "ruin the team".  Do you forget how good Carmelo Anthony is? Do you forget how he single handedly gave the Knicks a chance to beat Boston in game one and two of the playoffs? Do you forget how excited you were when the Knicks traded for Carmelo Anthony last year?  And of course, the loss last night to the Nets was all Carmelo's fault, right? I think it's pathetic.

Don't get me wrong, Melo was rusty.  He turned the ball over and missed a couple shots that he usually makes, but there were other things to put this loss on.  How about the fact that Kris Humphries completely outplayed Tyson Chandler.  He got Chandler into foul trouble early, hustled more than Tyson and also got under Tyson's skin giving him yet another technical foul.  Humphries finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds.  Now, on to Deron Williams.  Let's just say he was on fire.  He set a personal record with 8 3 pointers, and finished with 38 points.  Jeremy Lin, Baron Davis, and J.R Smith all could not defend him.  That wasn't Melo's fault was it?  You had to see this coming too, the Nets were the first team to start the Linsanity.  Deron Williams was going to be focused, and they were going to want to beat the Knicks down.  Enough with the blame game Knicks fans, can't we ever say the opposing team just played better? 

Jeremy Lin is Linning

Who would have ever thought that an Asian born basketball player would have New York City in the palm of his hand. The Knicks were an embarrassment all year and coach Mike D'Antoni was so close to being fired. That was until 6 foot 3 200 pound Jeremy Lin came off the bench against the Nets last week. He scored 25 off the bench against one of the best Point Guards in the world, that was just the beginning. Lin brought the Knicks back in that game vs the Nets to get their first win in 10 games. After that he had himself another great game, and win, over the Jazz. People still needed to see more, so the Knicks went down to Washington and Lin had a third solid game in a row beating John Wall and company.

Many people thought his first big test was agaisnt the Lakers. A physical Derek Fisher, Kobe, and two seven footers in the lane if Lin decided to take it to the basket. Let's just say he did alright, scoring 38 in the Knicks 4th straight victory. He couldn't be denied. The man from Harvard can play, it's an absolutely amazing story. Looking forward, it will be interesting to see how Amare and Melo will play with Lin once they return. I think Amare will love what Lin does because he is a great pick and roll point guard. Melo I am more nervous about. His ball stopping one on one offense will take away from what Lin does. I don't think he will do that though, I see him stopping the ball less because he has seen first hand on the bench what Lin can do. It really is amazing what one opportunity can do for a player, team, coach and city. Lin has taken advantage of that opportunity and then some. If D'Antoni doesn't take Lin off the bench in that Nets game who knows what would have happened. The Knicks were looking to release Lin and D'Antoni would most likely have been fired. It's safe to say D'Antoni saved himself, thanks to Jeremy Lin.

Giants Champions Again

What a game.  This was one of the most anticipated Super Bowls ever, and it sure lived up to the hype.  Both Quarterbacks on fire, both defenses having to make small adjustments at halftime, and both coaches trying to out smart each other.  The Giants were dominating play early in the game taking a 9-0 lead into the second quarter. Eli Manning set a record,completing his first nine passes as he looked to be in the zone.  Tom Brady then wanted to set a record of his own and completed 16 straight passes.  The Giants looked like they couldn't cover the Patriots if they had fifteen on the field.  I thought the Patriots taking the lead into the half 10-9 was going to be deflating to the Giants because the Giants out played the Patriots for the majority of the half.  As the game went on in the second half we got the feeling that this was going to come down to a game winning drive.  Eli had the ball at the Giants 12 and had to go 88 yards in about three minutes.  Like he did all year he marched down the field highlighted by an amazing throw and catch from Manning to Manningham.  Tom Brady had about a minute left which is a ton of time for Tom Brady.  The key play was a pass intended for Deion Branch over the middle of the field that was deflected away by Kenny Phillips.  When you watch the replay if Tom Brady simply put air under the ball and lead Branch some more he would have ran right by the flat footed Phillips.  It came down to a hail mary throw to end the game which was very close but it fell to the ground giving the Giants franchise another Super Bowl victory.

Super Bowl Sunday

The most anticipated game of any sport is finally here, and for me (die hard Giants fan), I am very excited.  I am a fan of everything that the Super Bowl has to offer which is great commercials, half time performances, non stop food, and of course the greatest sport in the world, football.  I most likely won't be able to enjoy the commercials this year though because every commercial break I will be stressing out about any bad plays the Giants had prior to the break.  

Most people want to be a part of a big party, go out to a bar or restaurant, not me though.  I have to watch the game with Giants fans only.  I'm going over to my friends house to watch the game for a couple of reasons.  First I want to be able to hear the game and the broadcast, something I might not be able to do at a party or bar.  Second would be how annoyed I would get by anyone who is not rooting for the Giants.  The last reason would be that us Giants fans can think and talk about the game and how it's going.  Today is going to be a long day of food and football and I'm ready for every second of it!

Silent Chad

If you were to tell me before April that the New England Patriots would trade for a loud mouth reciever who is know to be a "me first" guy in Chad Ochocinco, I would be somewhat surprised.  Then again the Patriots do have a reputation of taking chances on some controversial athletes.  The more surprising thing to me would be how silent Chad Ochocinco has been all season long.  He also is finishing up his worst season as an NFL wideout on Sunday. 

Chad Ochocinco has been one of the top wide recievers in the NFL over the past nine years.  He hasn't even come close to winning a Super Bowl however.  Ochocinco has had very little to do with the Patriots playoff run.  Even though Tom Brady is taking the high road by making it seem like he is a big part of the team, the truth is that he has zero catches and has only played one play in the playoffs so far.

It will be very interesting to me how Chad Ochocinco reacts if he does win a SuperBowl ring on Sunday.  Will he brag and be a loud mouth about it? Or will he do what seems to have worked for him this season and keep lowkey, thinking more about his team rather than himself.



Take a look at this blog by James Walker for more on his first Media Day

Who is better?

Now that Eli has established his elite class, here are some other quarterbacks who make strong cases. See if these players are guilty of being better than Eli, or not guilty with my 'verdict'.

Michael Vick- Case - Vick makes some of the most amazing plays you will ever see. He extends plays, and can string a big play at any time. He is still feared as a dynamic running quarterback too.

Michael's Verdict - NOT GULITY - Vick still has to prove that he can stay healthy.  With every extra hit that he seems to always take, Philadelphia fans cringe hoping for him to get up healthy.  

Matthew Stafford- Case - Stafford put up huge numbers this year with 41 touchdown passes, and also throwing for over 5,000 yards.  He led the Lions to their first playoff appearance in forever.

Michael's Verdict - NOT GUILTY - Just like Eli early in his career, Stafford still needs to work on being consistent with his accuracy and his decision making.  He also needs his first playoff win.

Philip Rivers- Case - Rivers was a Pro Bowler this year and put together another solid season for the Chargers.

Michael's Verdict - NOT GUILTY - I think Rivers had a less productive year this year compared with last year.  He threw a ton of interceptions too (20) which hurt his case.  Him missing the playoffs in that weak division really makes me wonder how with all the talent that surrounds him. Also needs to do something in the playoffs.

Tony Romo- Case - Romo threw for over 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns while throwing only 10 interceptions. He and Aaron Rodgers are the only quarterbacks that can say that.  He also had a very high completion percentage of 66%.

Michael's Verdict - NOT GUILTY - Romo is another guy who seems to not be able to stay healthy.  He is also the NFL version of Lebron James in the sense of him being a great player, but a guy who doesn't know how to make that one play to win a game when it matters.  And again some success in the playoffs is needed too.

Ben Roethlisberger- Case - Big Ben has something that Eli doesn't have and that's two Super Bowl rings.  He has an unorthodox style of extending plays, which makes him great.  He led the Steelers to the playoffs but got Tebow'd in the first round.

Michael's Verdict - NOT GUILTY - although he has the two rings this year wasn't that impressive.  He was 10th in QB Rating.  His style of extending plays gets him hurt very often.  I feel like Big Ben is playing every game with three sprained ankles and a broken foot. 

In my opinion this is what separates Eli from the rest of the quarterbacks in the NFL.  He is the 4th best quarterback in my opinion behind Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Drew Brees  If he wins his second Super Bowl we will have to start looking at all time quarterbacks, not just current.

ELIte Class

Prior to this NFL season, Eli Manning was asked if he was in the Elite class of Quarterbacks like Tom Brady.  Eli with his honest opinion said he thought he was in the same class as Tom Brady.  Gary Myers of the New York Daily News shares his thoughts here, along with some interesting polls asking who is the top 5 best Quarterbacks this year. ( http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/experts-agree-eli-manning-nfl-elite-quarterbacks-article-1.1013577 )

Eli Manning has so many important qualities at his position that can't get over looked.  I played the position myself in high school and if I could pick the five most important qualities I would go with these in order; 1. Confident 2. Clutch 3. Durable 4. Accurate 5. Anticipation.

Confidence is huge when playing Quarterback and Eli displays so much confidence in himself clearly with his answer to Michael Kay, but also with his play in one of the toughest places to play in, New York (Just ask Mark Sanchez).  Does Eli breaking the record for touchdowns in the fourth quarter mean he is clutch? Of course it does, when the game is on the line there are not many others I would rather have throwing the ball than Eli.  Durability is next, something that Eli also has no problem with. He leads the NFL with the longest active streak of starts in a row at the position. Knock on wood, Eli never seems to be on the injury list during the practice week.  He may not look it, but he is a tough guy.  This year has been great for Eli because his accuracy is much improved.  His interceptions are down and his completion percentage is up.  Although the Giants lead the NFL in dropped passes, his percentage is still over 60%.  Anticipation is last but not least, and Eli shows a ton of it.  It amazes me how he can complete passes when there are defenders blanketing his receivers.  He reads defenses and anticipates where the ball needs to be to complete the pass. Considering these 5 key components, this puts Eli in the top 4 Quarterbacks in the NFL, the order of those four is up to you.

Gronk Is Not The Biggest Concern

Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez have combined for one of the most impressive seasons at the tight end position.  They both are so dynamic being able to do many different things for Tom Brady and the Patriots.  They can line up outside, inside, and now even sometimes in the backfield.  The two huge targets have done great this season, but I don't see them being the Giants biggest concern.

Matt Ehalt wrote today, for ESPN New York that you can't forget about the 5'9" 185 pound slot receiver.( http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/giants/post/_/id/11793/dont-forget-about-welker )

The Giants find their success defensively by getting pressure on the Quarterback.  This instant pressure that the Giants seem to get on every team might not affect the Brady to Welker duo.  Here are 5 key components to the Welker vs. Giants Defense matchup.

1. Welker himself. As Matt Ehalt said in his story, Welker had 11 catches for 103 yards in the Super Bowl in 07'.  He also had 136 yards in the matchup earlier this year.  The two previous games prove that the Giants do have a hard time stopping Welker, if he has a similar game Sunday the Giants will be in trouble.

2. The Giants pass rush.  Although this pass rush looks just as good as it did in 07' if not better, I'm not sure how much it will affect Brady and Welker.  Welker does his work mostly under 10 yards, he's quick and he gets open fast.  The Giants rush must be perfect to take away the quick throws that have made Welker the second leading receiver in the NFL.

3. Gronk.  Will he play? If Gronk isn't his normal self this will be huge.  It also will change who covers Wes Welker.  The Giants are very thin at the corner position having 5 players on injured reserve.  If Gronk isn't 100% they can play pro bowler Antrel Rolle over Welker to slow him down.  If Gronk is fine Welker might see the un-experienced rookie Prince Amukamara. Keep an eye on who is on Welker.

4. Patriots running game.  If the Patriots are not successful running the ball the Giants will look to have an extra safety in at all times.  The Patriots need to be able to run the ball so the Giants keep three linebackers on the field.  This will have Wes Welker running routes off of linebackers instead of an extra defensive back.

5. Deion Branch.  If Branch is not effective and can't get open, look for the Giants to put their number one corner over Welker.  Webster, or Ross might see him if this happens.