As you've no doubt heard by now, Johan Santana, the current Best Pitcher In Baseball, has been traded to the Mets in exchange for four young players. Whooah!
The deal is pending the signing of a contract extension which will deliver a metric assload of money to Mr. Santana, plus the requisite physical. It would be a huge surprise if the deal didn;t go down, since the Mets have to know roughly what it will take to lock up the lefty for the foreseeable future.
Mets GM Omar Minaya can now be forgiven for the inactivity of the last few months, with the notable exception of the head scratching Lastings Milledge/Ryan Church/Brian Schnieder deal in November. One thing is certain: there are no longer any excuses for this team to not win the East in '08. A rotation headed by the innings eating strikeout machine that is Santana, followed by a healthier Pedro Martinez, a maturing John Maine and Oliver Perez, with El Duque where he belongs as a fifth starter should be able to dominate the National League. The bullpen gets Duaner Sanchez back, which is huge as well. The offense should be fine, provided the extended slump Carlos Delgado went through last year was more an aberration than the beginning of a decline in skills. Jose Reyes, David Wright and Carlos Beltran will still be the main cogs, and a full year from hitting machine Moises Alou would be nice. It will be interesting to see how these guys respond to being an overwhelming favorite, especially after the classic collapse of '07.
The best part of the whole trade, though? Simple - #57 will not be suiting up for the Yankees or the Red Sox, much to the chagrin of ESPN, which simply adores all things pertaining to those two teams. Ha!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Get Well, Knucklehead
Best wishes go out to Michael Wilbon, who suffered chest pains yesterday and had an angioplasty done. As one of the few personalitites left on the Worldwide Leader whom we can tolerate, we honestly wish him a speedy return to health, and PTI.
[Must. Resist. Urge. To write "shoulda been you, name of obnoxious ESPN personality joke here]
Boston Fans, Media Play It Safe
You can bet the Patriots are a confident bunch heading into the Super Bowl, and with good reason: being the first team ever to go 18-0 will have that effect. Despite this fact, one will be hard pressed to hear any arrogance from them as the week progresses. Bill Bellichick runs a pretty tight ship, and you won't hear any declarations like "We're gonna win" out of the mouths of Brady, Bruschi, or even Moss. Boring? Maybe, but pretty standard stuff nonetheless.
The Boston media and fans, however, are a different story.
Risking embarassment, or just trying to strike just before the iron gets hot, two products hit the market yesterday:
2.) "19-0" T-Shirts, which you can "wear as history happens"...or be doused with salsa and beer and soundly humiliated when your dream dies.
The Pats can't be too happy about these things, while Giants coach Tom Coughlin will undoubtedly use them as motivational tools. In prior years things like this would be ready to go before the game, but wouldn't be advertised until the result was assured. Announcing their availability before the game just smacks of arrogance from a fan base which, admittedly, has plenty to crow about over the past few years.
We kinda liked Boston fans more when they were loveable losers. These jerks are just begging for a nice healthy dose of schadenfreude.
Links:
Monday, January 28, 2008
Following The Clemens Blueprint...Except For The Injections
Teemu Selanne is taking a page from the Roger Clemens playbook and is returning to the Ducks for the remainder of the season.
To be fair, the Finnish star never actually said he was retiring, never accepted the farewell accolades, and never took any cars or prizes on his way out. It is heretofore unknown if he has received any ass injections prior to the return (allegedly, of course).
Teammate Scott Neidermayer did a similar thing, and one wonders if this will become standard operating procedure for guys 35-plus. Skipping training camp at that age, and joining the team for the second half of the season plus playoffs, could prove to be a recipe for success, especially if the Ducks can repeat as Cup champs.
The Ducks are currently the #5 seed in the Western Conference.
To be fair, the Finnish star never actually said he was retiring, never accepted the farewell accolades, and never took any cars or prizes on his way out. It is heretofore unknown if he has received any ass injections prior to the return (allegedly, of course).
Teammate Scott Neidermayer did a similar thing, and one wonders if this will become standard operating procedure for guys 35-plus. Skipping training camp at that age, and joining the team for the second half of the season plus playoffs, could prove to be a recipe for success, especially if the Ducks can repeat as Cup champs.
The Ducks are currently the #5 seed in the Western Conference.
After considering retirement, Selanne agrees to one-year deal with Ducks
Friday, January 25, 2008
You're Dead Wood But I Won't Fire You
Raiders owner Al Davis is apparently still alive, and continuing his sad, downward spiral. Hiring Lane Kiffin as his coach just a year ago did little to dispel the notion that any man follish enough to take this job would be constantly haunted by the specter of the crypt-keeper-like owner. Conventional wisdom dictated that the young coach would be merely a puppet for the whims of the crazy old man.
The result? A dismal 4-12 season. Losing patience, Davis allegedly asked Kiffin to resign his position so he could bring in Dennis "Crown Their Asses" Green to oversee the ongoing train wreck. As usual, control over player decisions is playing a factor. Kiffin, however, has other ideas - he's not giving Davis the satisfaction.
According to Chris Mortensen:
Davis has gone so far to draft a letter of resignation for Kiffin to sign, a source said. Kiffin has refused to do so but has dared Davis to fire him instead.
Kiffin, who was 4-12 in his first season as coach, has two years remaining on his contract at an estimated $2 million per year.
We love the idea of a lawyer calling up the coach and saying that your boss would like him to step down, likely so he won't have to pay him, and expecting the coach to say, "Sure, okay that sounds perfectly reasonable."
Fight the power, Lane!
The result? A dismal 4-12 season. Losing patience, Davis allegedly asked Kiffin to resign his position so he could bring in Dennis "Crown Their Asses" Green to oversee the ongoing train wreck. As usual, control over player decisions is playing a factor. Kiffin, however, has other ideas - he's not giving Davis the satisfaction.
According to Chris Mortensen:
Davis has gone so far to draft a letter of resignation for Kiffin to sign, a source said. Kiffin has refused to do so but has dared Davis to fire him instead.
Kiffin, who was 4-12 in his first season as coach, has two years remaining on his contract at an estimated $2 million per year.
We love the idea of a lawyer calling up the coach and saying that your boss would like him to step down, likely so he won't have to pay him, and expecting the coach to say, "Sure, okay that sounds perfectly reasonable."
Fight the power, Lane!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
It Could Be Worse
As much as we (and just about everyone else) hate how the NFL insists on taking an extra week between the Conference Championships and the Super Bowl every year, we do take some small comfort in realizing that somehow, on some level, it would have been ten times more unbearable if the Packers had won. Imagine the number of slobbering articles and gushing reports from Arizona as everybody's favorite gunslingin' fun havin' good ol' warrior Brett Favre was involved.
[shudder]
By comparison, having to endure 10 days of Manning related stories versus The State Of Brady's Foot doesn't sound so bad. Can't wait to see if anyone makes an ass of himself at Media Day. We're betting on Rodney Harrison, since he might actually hear some questions about A) Roids or B) his general asshole-ish tactics on the field. Grow a pair, media guys, and grill him. What's the worst that could happen, other than perhaps a little skirmish?
Thursday, January 17, 2008
NFL Picks - Conference Championships
It's going to be hard to top last week, let's get that out there right now. After an intensifying as the game progressed snowstorm in Green Bay to the Jags giving the Pats a decent battle on Saturday, followed by the Colts-Bolts see saw game to Big Blue showing a ton of grit and teamwork to shut down the Cowboys on Sunday, it was a tremendous 48 hours. To top it off, we went 3-1 as well, as only Indy didn't fare as expected.
Obviously, it sucks to be a team comes this far and loses. That gets compounded when you are the team that is expected to do well, only to find your season suddenly over. Despite all that, only in rare cases can a team say "we were robbed" or "they didn't win the game, we lost it!" or some such things, and 99% of the time these statements are made when the loss stings like a fresh wound, so they're taken with a grain of salt. None of this, however, applies to the idiotic statement by Dallas coach Wade Phillips a full day after his top seeded Cowboys were bounced by the Giants. "The better team didn't win", said the coach. Really, Wade? Let's have a look at that, shall we?
Is that "the better team" which committed a staggering 11 penalties (for 84 yards), many of them devastating?
Or is it "the better team" whose offensive line was gasping for wind in the fourth quarter as the Giant defensive lineman blew by them?
Perhaps it was "the better team" who had receivers aligator arming several passes, while dropping several others?
Sorry, Wade, but the better team emerged with the win on Sunday, despite what the yardage and time of possession numbers say. And, you are now 0-4 in the postseason.
The biggest highlight of the weekend, maybe the entire season however, had to be this:
Man, we're getting teary just watching it again, but these are from laughing so damn hard. What an ass.
On to the picks...
AFC - 3:00 PM EST
NEW ENGLAND (-13.5) over San Diego
All things being equal, the Pats are the clear choice, despite the fact that their games have gotten tighter as the second half of the season wore on. Toss in the number of dings to key Charger players and it seems like the Bolts will have a hard time keeping this one close at all. The Pats can taste it now, and the realization that they are just 2 games away from immortality is all the motivation they'll need. Throw in some stupid comments by Igor Olshansky, and the general douchebaggery that is Philp Rivers, and you're just adding more fuel to the fire.
KEY PLAYERS: San Diego - Antonio Cromartie. The ball hawking, big play abilities of this guy can play a huge factor in how well the Patriots offense can produce. Cro is always around the ball, and has an uncanny knack for finding the end zone (see last week's called back TD just before halftime, on what was a pretty bogus call). If he can disrupt Moss, Welker and the rest, it could force Tom Brady to check off and look for his 3rd or 4th option - perhaps giving Shawne Merriman and the gang a chance to knock Brady on his butt. For New England, we'll go with Randy Moss. He caught only one ball last week, but his presence alone caused matchups which allowed Wes Welker to grab approximately 57 balls, and Brady to be near perfect. If he draws double coverage, look for a repeat of last week. If not, he'll be a human highlight reel.
The Pick: No sense picking against what has seemed to be inevitable for months. Patriots 34 Chargers 15
NFC - 6:30 PM EST
NY Giants (+7) over GREEN BAY
First things first, the weather will be just as much a pain in the ass to Brett Favre as it will be to Eli Manning. Though it was a Winter Wonderland in Wisconsin last week, it wasn't accompanied by bone rattling temps and sub-zero wind chills. You don't have to look back very far (Week 16 in Chicago) to see how this severe weather affected Favre - he was brutal, as was the entire Packer team in a 35-7 loss. Manning has been no day at the beach either in these types of situations, but all this talk of "Packer Weather" and what not just sounds like posturing at this point. Both teams have solid running games, and the one that proves more effective and mistake free will likely lead its team to the Super Bowl.
KEY PLAYERS: New York - Eli Manning. Should the game plan work as designed, Eli should have to simply manage the game, not force any passes, and keep his cool, just like he's been doing since the Week 17 kickoff against New England. He's done a good job thus far, and doesn't get rattled in hostile environments, however if the G-Men fall behind early it will be interesting to see how he responds. For Green Bay, let's go with Ryan Grant. The ex-Giant had the game of his young career last week, and the fact that he bounced back after two disastrous early fumbles which resulted in Seattle touchdowns made his day even sweeter. He won't have the slippery field advantage this week, and the Giants showed they could clamp down on the run in the second half last week. Suffice it to say that if Grant gets his yards, the Packers will be hoisting the Halas trophy around 10:00 on Sunday.
The Pick: Somehow, Favre makes it happen, and the NFL gets the match up it wants.
Packers 24 Giants 21
Last Week: 3-1
Playoff Total: 4-3-1
Obviously, it sucks to be a team comes this far and loses. That gets compounded when you are the team that is expected to do well, only to find your season suddenly over. Despite all that, only in rare cases can a team say "we were robbed" or "they didn't win the game, we lost it!" or some such things, and 99% of the time these statements are made when the loss stings like a fresh wound, so they're taken with a grain of salt. None of this, however, applies to the idiotic statement by Dallas coach Wade Phillips a full day after his top seeded Cowboys were bounced by the Giants. "The better team didn't win", said the coach. Really, Wade? Let's have a look at that, shall we?
Is that "the better team" which committed a staggering 11 penalties (for 84 yards), many of them devastating?
Or is it "the better team" whose offensive line was gasping for wind in the fourth quarter as the Giant defensive lineman blew by them?
Perhaps it was "the better team" who had receivers aligator arming several passes, while dropping several others?
Sorry, Wade, but the better team emerged with the win on Sunday, despite what the yardage and time of possession numbers say. And, you are now 0-4 in the postseason.
The biggest highlight of the weekend, maybe the entire season however, had to be this:
Man, we're getting teary just watching it again, but these are from laughing so damn hard. What an ass.
On to the picks...
AFC - 3:00 PM EST
NEW ENGLAND (-13.5) over San Diego
All things being equal, the Pats are the clear choice, despite the fact that their games have gotten tighter as the second half of the season wore on. Toss in the number of dings to key Charger players and it seems like the Bolts will have a hard time keeping this one close at all. The Pats can taste it now, and the realization that they are just 2 games away from immortality is all the motivation they'll need. Throw in some stupid comments by Igor Olshansky, and the general douchebaggery that is Philp Rivers, and you're just adding more fuel to the fire.
KEY PLAYERS: San Diego - Antonio Cromartie. The ball hawking, big play abilities of this guy can play a huge factor in how well the Patriots offense can produce. Cro is always around the ball, and has an uncanny knack for finding the end zone (see last week's called back TD just before halftime, on what was a pretty bogus call). If he can disrupt Moss, Welker and the rest, it could force Tom Brady to check off and look for his 3rd or 4th option - perhaps giving Shawne Merriman and the gang a chance to knock Brady on his butt. For New England, we'll go with Randy Moss. He caught only one ball last week, but his presence alone caused matchups which allowed Wes Welker to grab approximately 57 balls, and Brady to be near perfect. If he draws double coverage, look for a repeat of last week. If not, he'll be a human highlight reel.
The Pick: No sense picking against what has seemed to be inevitable for months. Patriots 34 Chargers 15
NFC - 6:30 PM EST
NY Giants (+7) over GREEN BAY
First things first, the weather will be just as much a pain in the ass to Brett Favre as it will be to Eli Manning. Though it was a Winter Wonderland in Wisconsin last week, it wasn't accompanied by bone rattling temps and sub-zero wind chills. You don't have to look back very far (Week 16 in Chicago) to see how this severe weather affected Favre - he was brutal, as was the entire Packer team in a 35-7 loss. Manning has been no day at the beach either in these types of situations, but all this talk of "Packer Weather" and what not just sounds like posturing at this point. Both teams have solid running games, and the one that proves more effective and mistake free will likely lead its team to the Super Bowl.
KEY PLAYERS: New York - Eli Manning. Should the game plan work as designed, Eli should have to simply manage the game, not force any passes, and keep his cool, just like he's been doing since the Week 17 kickoff against New England. He's done a good job thus far, and doesn't get rattled in hostile environments, however if the G-Men fall behind early it will be interesting to see how he responds. For Green Bay, let's go with Ryan Grant. The ex-Giant had the game of his young career last week, and the fact that he bounced back after two disastrous early fumbles which resulted in Seattle touchdowns made his day even sweeter. He won't have the slippery field advantage this week, and the Giants showed they could clamp down on the run in the second half last week. Suffice it to say that if Grant gets his yards, the Packers will be hoisting the Halas trophy around 10:00 on Sunday.
The Pick: Somehow, Favre makes it happen, and the NFL gets the match up it wants.
Packers 24 Giants 21
Last Week: 3-1
Playoff Total: 4-3-1
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