Random Thoughts Of The Week

As amazing as Notre Dame's win over the Michigan State was, they're still overrated. If this team runs the gauntlet until the USC game later this year, they'll still have a shot at the National title. If they played anywhere other than South Bend, this team would ranked in the bottom half of the top 25(if at all) instead of 12th.

I'm tired of these T.O apologists like Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders. This guy is a clubhouse cancer and the only reason these guys continue to defend him is because he's black. As a black man, I'm sick of the double-standard in play here. These guys, despite their antics, were always considered team first guys. Great teammates. Yet they continue to defend this clown who has always put himself above the team. He's thrown more guys under the bus than anyone in recent memories. It's never his fault. If this was a white guy pulling this garbage, I doubt they'd be as sympathetic.

And I don't want to hear the mental health garbage either. If you make seven figures, that gives you access to the best health care available. But he's not sick. He's someone who has never been held accountable for his actions until recently and doesn't feel like he has live by the same rules everyone else. If there was ever a guy who deserves an ACL injury...

Pedro is out until June with a rotator cuff injury/surgery. Say what you want about the guy. I personally hate his guts. But in spite of only pitching healthy for a little over a year and a half, that was still $52 million well spent. He helped bring a dead franchise back to respectability. You can argue that the Mets are in better shape than at any point in their 40 year history. That ascension began with stealing Pedro from Boston. Did they overpay for him? Yep. But even if he never throws another pitch, he will have done his job.

As funny as it would be for me personally, anyone who thinks that any of these sad sack NL teams have a chance of beating the Mets.....is an idiot. Even without Pedro, the Mets have enough to crush any of these teams.

Coughlin should have benched Shockey against Washington for mouthing off after the Seattle loss. But I think Tim Lewis and Jim Hufnagel should be put on notice as well.

The ACC is very underrated football conference. Personally, I think it's a better overall conference than the Big 12.

I hate the wave. If I had my way, anyone caught doing it at Yankee Stadium would be summarily executed.

I'm going to miss Jason Whitlock on ESPN 2. I definitely agree with his assessment of Mike Lupica, but I think he's being a little hard on Scoop Jackson.

Working on weekends sucks. That's why I don't work in sports.

Gotta Love The Football God's Sense Of Humor....

This is the greatest story of all time. From the AP Wires...

Flamboyant Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens tried to kill himself by overdosing on pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened, according to a police report obtained Wednesday.
Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a ``thumbs up'' but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.
Publicist Kim Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that the police have gotten the story wrong. She said she was with Owens, who was having trouble because he'd mixed his pain pills with supplements. She said she called for help because he was becoming unresponsive.
Etheredge did not immediately respond to repeated calls and e-mails from The Associated Press.
The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers ``if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time (he) stated, `Yes.'''
The report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend ``that he was depressed.'' Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.
Police Lt. Rick Watson said during a brief news conference that he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.

Remember what I said about Karma, T.O? You must have thought I was playing. Wrong!

This couldn't have happened to a more deserving player or franchise. As a Giants fan, I can't ever bring myself to hate Bill Parcells. But Owens and Jones, however, are quite high on my hate parade. They have their own floats and everything. Everyone in the NFC East (and the NFL for that matter) must doing a jig after hearing about this.

Forgive me if my level of sympathy for this boob and his situation isn't up to snuff. But I have hard time believing that this is anything more than a publicity stunt by this clown.

Stop the train, I want to get off....

Thank God For Bye Weeks

Because noone needs a team timeout more than Big Blue right now.

Between that debacle of a game and Shockey's tirade, this team is very close to a mutiny. Coughlin has to find a way to get his troops back under control and he has two weeks to do it.

In some ways I think this loss was a blessing in disguise. It's hard to find a silver lining in a beating like this. But if this wasn't a wakeup call for the G-Men that they aren't as good as their press clippings say, I don't know what it is.

The Indy loss and the comeback win gave this team delusions of grandeur for accomplishing little or nothing. The Indy loss allowed them to assume that they were ready for primetime in spite of foolish penalties and turnovers that ultimately a win.

The Philly win allowed to think that no deficit was too big for a comeback for Manning and company. So there was no sense of urgency for the defense to stiffen up.

Seattle gave them the wakeup call, they needed as well as their fanbase.

I still think that this team is capable of the playoffs and more. But they have to realize that despite having talent on both sides of the ball that many teams envy, talent alone doesn't make a great team.

Coughlin has to figure out how to get both units to play disciplined football, otherwise, this is an exercise in futitility. If you look Seattle's roster, there's not a lot that jumps out at you with exception of Alexander and their offensive tackle Walter Jones. Hasselbeck is a good quarterback in that system but he doesn't make anyone think of Young or Montana. You could argue that the Giants have more playmakers on both sides of the ball.

But the difference between the Giants and Seahawks is that Seattle buys into their system and as a result they're a very disciplined, well coached unit. The Giants, after two plus years under Coughlin, are still a work in progress. Sometimes they show flashes of brilliance and seem to buy whatever he's preaching. Other times, they seem totally discombobulated like Sunday.

I have serious reservations about Tim Lewis as defensive coordinator and Hufnagel leaves me scratching my head with some of his play calls. But Lewis isn't the one who pressures the QB or covers the tight end over the middle. Hufnagel isn't blocking defensive tackles or running routes against corners. The one who executes the best wins more times than not. So even if the schemes don't remind anyone of Bellichick or Walsh, you can still be sucessful if you know how to execute.

A long look in the mirror is in order for this team and its coaching staff. Yell at each other, cuss each other out, get into some fistfights. Get it out of your system and then get back to work. It's only the third game of the season and there's a lot of football to played. There's plenty of time to turn this around.

But whatever happens, they can't that they say that they were surprised. Good or bad.

What I've Learned This Week

That if you're T.O, Karma isn't just a bitch. It's a man-hating 6'2'' machete-bearing lesbian.

That the Jets can make this season interesting if they can get a running game going. And that Chad Pennington will have a lot of bastards owing him an apology at season's end.

That Katt Williams is a funny Mofo. And Dane Cook is not. If you don't believe me, go on HBO In Demand and watch their comedy specials. The fact that they gave Cook an hour and a half is bugging me out. You can't possibly less funny than this corny bastard.

That the Wire is the best show on TV.

That the White Sox are done. And that Frank Thomas, a legitmate MVP candidate, has gotten a revenge he doesn't deserve.

That if there isn't a Subway Series this fall, that this winter for one or both of the New York teams will feel like an Ice Age. Mammoths not included.

That Ohio State is the best college football team in the country. And that Troy Smith is a top 10 pick in the next draft.

That Notre Dame as always, is overrated. That Weiss, realizing he'll never win a national title there, will be gone for the NFL within three years.

That you might see a USC vs OSU in the National title game.

That Miami is a great school for running backs, but a horrible school for QBs.

That A-Rod's legacy will be made this postseason. For better or worse.

That Jeter, if he were hit by a bus tomorrow, is a first ballot hall of fame player. But not a HOF captain. A great captain is a captain for the whole team, not just for the guys he likes. If he was, he would have nipped some of this A-Rod stuff in the bud sooner. Instead, he let it linger. In that sense, he's no better than Thurman Munson in 1977 in handling Reggie.

That getting Sheffield's bat back for the postseason was huge. But his performance at first base last night could be the key to another crown for the Yankees.

That Tiger Woods is the man. He's the best non-team sports athlete of my lifetime, but the way he's handled his father's death and all the tabloid mess about his wife makes him even bigger in my eyes. If the mainstream press establishment could see him for what he is instead of analyzing him for what he's not....

That Omar Minaya is the executive of the year in baseball. Hands down. And that Brian Cashman is a close second. Forget money. It's a GM's job to put their team in the best position to win and that's exactly what these guys did. The Abreu deal might have been the biggest deal at the deadline, but the Mota deal could be the one that gets the Mets back to the Fall Classic.

That Jimmy Leyland is the manager of the year in baseball. But his counterpart in the NL, Joe Girardi, will be looking for a job in the offseason because the Marlins owner is an idiot.

That Jason Giambi is a prime example of a truism my mother once told me; People might forget what you do to them or for them. But they never forget how you make them feel. A lot of people in that Yankee clubhouse liked Jason Giambi before the whole BALCO mess. And they like him now. That's why he has the clout to talk to someone who will go down as one of the greatest players of all time like he was a Columbus callup.

That sleep isn't overrated. Just the opposite.

That the Giants win over the Eagles was huge. But a win in Seattle would really open some eyes around the league.

That the Redskins who suck, suck even more without Clinton Portis.

That the Eagles are a 250 carry a year back away from going back to the Super Bowl. And that Donovan McNabb is the most underrated great player in the league.

That the Cardinals, with Braeden Looper as their closer, are one and done in the postseason.

That Tony LaRussa, despite the bad press to the contrary, is a great manager. But he can't pitch.

That Ryan Howard will probably win the MVP, and deservedly so. But Albert Pujols is still the man. Look inside the numbers closely and you'll see why. And he's younger than Howard as well!

That the Bears will do what they always do. Beat up on the weaker teams, make the playoffs and then lose to a team that actually play pro football.

That Brett Favre was done three years ago. Even if you put him on a playoff ready team. He'll throw five picks against a good defense.

That Eli might not put up his brother's stats. But he'll win a title before Peyton does. Look at how the two handle adversity or bad losses and you'll see why.

That Tom Brady is the best QB in football, but key to the Patriots season is Lawrence Maroney.

That Bill Bellichick is an asshole, but Mangini and Tannenbaum are sneaky assholes. See the Deion Branch debacle.

That Deion Branch is not worth a first round pick. And Seattle will find out the hard way.

That the New Orleans Saints should stay the New Orleans Saints. LA had two teams and lost both. In my eyes, that bars you from having the opportunity to stealing someone else's. Number two TV market be damned.

That Little Miss Sunshine is one of the funniest movies I've seen in years. That Joel Sherman is a better book writer than a columnist.

That Roger Kahn is still the best baseball writer that I've ever read. But Tom Verducci is a pretty darn close second.

That it's time for me to wrap this up so I can get up in the morning and go to the zoo.

Bring The Noise, Bring Tha Funk

I remember dealing with the piping in crowd noise issue in Indy a few years ago. It was a Jets-Colts game that me and a few friends made the roadtrip for in 2003. I was scratching head as how a moderately excited crowd sounded like Yankee Stadium in October.

Seems like the Decibel monster has reared its ugly head in the Emerald City.

I’ve always thought the practice was lame. Maybe living in New York has spoiled me. But I figure if your fanbase can’t get live and rowdy for a playoff game, then they don’t deserve to have a team. I don’t want to hear about East Coast bias. It’s not as if West Coast fans have different anatomy than their East Coast counterparts. Their vocal chords and lungs work just the same as ours.

To be fair, I’ve always thought that Giants Stadium at times, has been a tame crowd by East Coast standards. Maybe it’s because the fanbase is older, I don’t know. But go to a Jets, Eagles, Steelers or Pats game and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

That being said, I fully expect the Giants to romp on the Seahawks Sunday.

Yeah I know, the Hawks are 2-0 and the defending NFC champs. I know that they were 8-0 at home last year and 24-4 there over the last several years.

But this team is prime for a beatdown. They squeaked by Detroit in a fieldgoal fest who went to get pimpslapped by Chicago last week. That’s followed up with a solid, if unspectacular win over Arizona at home, who could be decent this year. Hardly the sort of wins you write songs about.

And can someone tell me how the Giants get this brutal schedule, but Seattle, the NFC champs, starts off against Detroit and Arizona. Someone in scheduling must have a little something extra under their pillow courtesy of Paul Allen.

Meanwhile, the Giants start their year off against the formidable Colts at home and the always dangerous Eagles on the road. Were it not for some bonehead penalties, the Giants could be going into this game 2-0 instead of 1-1.

The Seattle offense hasn’t hit full throttle yet with Alexander hobbled and Branch yet to play. But neither has the Giants defense. I still think this can be one of the better units in the league if they can stay healthy. Umenyiora manhandled one of the best tackles in the game in Walter Jones last year. He and Strahan have had a lackluster two games. I expect them to come in amped for this contest. I think Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka will get some plays to keep Seattle off balance.

I keep hearing about how good Seattle’s defense is. We’ll see on Sunday, the Giants pretty much had their way with them last year and I don’t expect much to change. I don’t think Jay Feeley will be a factor in this game. But if he is, I suspect he’ll redeem himself quite nicely.

I don’t normally get all fanboy about the Giants, but I think this win in Philly is the beginning of a nice run for Big Blue. Manning makes me remember why I have him on two of my fantasy teams as does Tiki Barber. The Giants get a nice win on the road to go into the bye week.

31-21 Giants.

Chokeadelphia

I was ready to write this depressing post about how the Giants were mandled in the trenches on both side of the ball. About how Donovan toyed with Big Blue's secondary for most of the day. How Osi and Strahan couldn't lay a hand on the Eagles QB.

I thought that I was watching the best team in the NFC. "The Eagles are a premium back away from going back to the Super Bowl." The way this team was rotating in their defensive lineman to keep fresh pass rushers in the game, I held out little hope that the Giants could pull this one out.

But then, Reid got conservative with his play-calling after the Westbrook fumble. Donovan got cocky, going so far as taunting Antonio Pierce at the line of scrimmage, getting a false start penalty called on himself. The score was still 24-7, but in spite of the fourth quarter deficit, I thought that they could make a game of it if they gave Eli some time and the defense could get some three and outs.

The rest as you know, is history.

This was easily the biggest win of the Coughlin-Manning era. McNabb and the Iggles have had our number for the past several years. It wasn't lost on me the fact that our wins over Philly last year were somewhat tainted because McNabb was out of the lineup. This was their first win over a McNabb run offense and the Giants first win over Donovan since 2000. That game was an important psychological hurdle for Big Blue.

Now with the Redskins stinking it up and the Cowboys losing Terrell for a couple of weeks, the schedule looks a little less imposing right now. 2-1 going into the bye week seems very possible with a win in Seattle Sunday.

As for Philly, well, when it rains, pours on that team. From today's AP Wires....

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Jevon Kearse's season is over because of a severe knee injury the star defensive end suffered in Philadelphia's overtime loss to the Giants yesterday.
Kearse tore multiple ligaments in his left knee when his leg knocked against Mike Patterson while the two brought down Eli Manning on New York's first possession of the extra period. Kearse reached for his knee immediately after the play, was helped off the field and carted to the locker room.
Kearse had two-and-a-half sacks against the Giants. He is in his third season with the Eagles after signing a 66 (m) million dollar, eight-year contract in 2004.
Kearse's injury should give former first-round pick Jerome McDougle an opportunity to play after he was inactive the first two games.

The Eagles still have plenty of depth on both lines, but losing Kearse is going to hurt morale somewhat. We'll see what sort of fallout occurs there. One thing that can't be overlooked is their lack of a bigtime back. Westbrook is great utility back, but you need someone that you can give the ball 25 times a game. He's not that sort of player. Their slip is going to show bigtime if their O-line gets banged up and their pass protection becomes compromised later in the year.

As for the Giants, I still have serious concerns about their defense. They have too much talent in the front seven and secondary to be giving up this much yarddage in their air. They have to find a way to get more pressure on the QB and create some turnovers. On offense, the penalties have to stop. They almost shot themselves in the foot on that last drive in OT with two careless flags. Shockey's balky ankle is a concern as well.

But you have to love the maturation process of Eli Manning. He still throws the occassional wounded duck, but his passes yesterday were on the money for the most part. The one pick he threw yesterday wasn't his fault. He hit Tiki in the numbers and the ball bounced off of him. The TD throws to Toomer were on the money and his call at the line of scrimmage for Plaxico to go full throttle for the end zone to beat the blitz...a thing of beauty.

This can be a very special year if he can build on what he's learned from these first two games. He has the talent and the temperament. Now all he needs is the experience.

Very Fasselesque

I'm feeling Deja Vu watching this Giants team. It feels like the Fassel years all over again.

You all remember. Those flawed overachieving teams that were fascinating and maddening at the same time. Those teams that would play with the best in the league, only to find a way to lose at the end.

With those teams, it was the special teams. Fassel could never seem to get that equation right. The missed field goals, shanked kickoffs and touchdown returns kept reoccuring like some Groundhog Day film in the third rung of hell. Thankfully, everyone got injured in 2003, which led to a 4-12 debacle and forced Acorsi and the Maras to fire Fassel and end our Meadowlands nightmare.

In comes Colonel Coughlin, the disciplinarian. Just what the team and the fanbase needs. Parcells minus the sense of humor.

But whatever he lacked in style and personality, you knew one thing, the stupid mistakes would cease and desist under him. And for a little while, that seemed to be the case. Tiki stopped fumbling and went from being a very good back to a borderline Hall Of Famer. And the special teams went from being one of the worst to being one of the best. The team has become a playoff team and a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

But there's a pox that's keeping the G-Men from becoming a real power in the league. That pox reared its ugly head in the Seattle game last year and the Manning Bowl Sunday night. Two wins that would have made the league and the national media stand up and take notice of what's going on in East Rutherford.

Instead of huge wins however, the Giants hand their fans bitter defeats. What happened against Carolina was understandable. When you lose your starting linebacker corps and their backups. When you have guys coming off the street to play for the first time in years. You can understand why the Panthers were able to do what they wanted in that game.

But these false start penalties, these dumb mistakes at critical moments will be the death of this team. There's a thin line between the best and worst in the NFL. You can't afford to make these mistakes against bad teams, much less Seattle and Indy.

I'm hoping that Sunday was an eye-opener for this team. They're on the verge of either doing great things or falling back to the pack. There's a very small window in this age to compete for a title. Here's hoping that the Giants window hasn't closed.

Sunday Post-Mortem

Breaking news from the AP wires...

BOSTON-New England Patriots ended the months-long holdout of receiver Deion Branch on Monday by trading him to the Seattle Seahawks for a future draft pick.
Patriots spokesman Stacey James confirmed the trade, but would offer no further details on its conditions. He referred questions to an afternoon news conference by coach Bill Belichick.
Branch was entering the last season of the five-year contract he signed as a rookie. He held out of the mandatory minicamp in June and all of training camp. He has been subject to a $14,000 fine for each day he held out from July 28, the start of training camp.
Last season, he caught 78 passes for 988 yards and five touchdowns, all career highs. In his four seasons, he has 213 receptions for 2,744 yards and 14 touchdowns. In the 2005 Super Bowl he had 11 catches for 133 yards against Philadelphia as the Patriots won their third championship in four years.
Branch's agent, Jason Chayut, did not immediately return calls for comment.
The Patriots are without their top two receivers from last season. David Givens signed with Tennessee as a free agent for five years and $24 million, including an $8 million signing bonus.
On Aug. 25, the Patriots gave Branch, who had been scheduled to make $1.045 million this year, permission to negotiate a contract with other teams and seek a trade until 4 p.m. on Sept. 1. The NFL Players Association filed a grievance on behalf of Branch after the Patriots did not trade him by the team-imposed deadline.
The grievance alleged that in allowing Branch to work out a contract with another team, the Patriots agreed they would trade him if Branch was comfortable with that contract and the draft choice compensation for him ``was commensurate with what has been the value of similar players,'' said Richard Berthelsen, lawyer for the union.
He said the New York Jets had offered a second-round draft pick for Branch, which Berthelsen said was of commensurate value.
James would not say what round draft pick the Patriots had received from Seattle.

This trade will show the world how good Tom Brady really is. Branch was not worth a first round pick. Not even close. He had a great Super Bowl a couple of years ago. But he is not a franchise receiver. This trade helps Matt Hasselbeck's passing game. But it was not worth a first round pick. A first round pick gets you to the Super Bowl and wins it. Not having Deion Branch wasn't the reason they lost to Steelers.

NFL picks are like gold and first rounders are platinum. Forget potential Hall Of Famers, a first rounder can mean a 10 year starter at a premium position like offensive or defensive line. The building blocks of any great team. That's why the Jets picking Ferguson and Mangold was such a smart football move.

But you don't trade a first round pick, even a low number one, for a number two (borderline one at best) receiver. Unless they get back to the Super Bowl, win it and he's MVP, it's a bad trade.

Speaking of the Pats, I picked up Lawrence Maroney as one of my sleeper picks after watching him in the preseason and reading the Boston papers. Looks like I might be able to use him or Frank Gore in a trade for a quality receiver. Yeah!!!

Sterling Sharpe said something very curious last night during the Sunday night pre-game. He said that he didn't think that the Texans made a bad pick in grabbing Mario Williams over Reggie Bush. He said that Bush at this stage of his career isn't a every down player and that Williams is.

Williams might end up being the better player between the two when all is said and done. But you have to pick Reggie Bush if you have the first pick of the draft. You have to. He's one of the most exciting talents to come around in a long time. You have to draft him. Even with the chance that Williams does become the second coming of Reggie White.

Jerry Jones explained it best. He said that Williams was first on their board as well. But if the opportunity presented itself, the businessman in him would have to pick Reggie Bush. Well said.

Now all that Bush memorabilia money is going into the Saints pockets instead of Houston's.

If anything they should have picked an offensive lineman to keep David Carr in one piece.

I'm really happy that Chad and the Jets got off on the right foot with a win, but it's amazing how two-faced sports fans can be. Half of these Jets fans I know who have Pennington pom-poms wanted him cut in the off-season. You can't burn someone and effigy one minute and want to name your first born after him six months later.

Now they're turning on Nugent after his awful day. Come on, Gang Green! If the kid turns into Adam Vinatieri or Morten Andersen after you run him out of town, you're gonna regret it.

I hate Michael Irvin for a variety of reasons. The latest is his bufoonery for ESPN. Saying the most ridiculous things to get attention. Last year's idiocy was when he said that the Eagles would be a championship team if Brett Favre was the QB and not an injured Donovan McNabb.

I wonder if he believes that after yesterday's masterpiece by good ol' Brett?

If there was ever a player who needed to read the writing on the wall and hang it up, it's Brett. He was an amazing player in his prime, but I've never bought into the hype around Favre. He won one title and that was only because Dallas was beaten up and he got Carolina in the NFC championship game and an overmatched Pats team in the Super Bowl. When he had to face a real team in Denver the next year, his Packers fell short. He could never beat Dallas when it mattered and you get the feeling that Elway would have found a way to win the game on that last drive if the roles were reversed.

But in spite of all that, he was still a great player. One of the 10 best QBs ever. Not better than Montana, Marino, Elway, Staubach or Aikman. But a great player.

Now he's painful to watch. I understand his team is falling around him and his arm is still strong. But he's nowhere close to being the old Favre. I keep hearing if you put on him on a playoff team that he could be a difference maker. That if he had a coach who could rein him in a bit like Holmgren used to, that he would be an asset. I don't think so. Maybe two years ago. Not now.

I wish he could hang it up just so I can be spared all these blowjob sessions ESPN do with him. I always put my head in the oven after all of the Agassi nonsense. You know what's gonna happen when Favre decides to hang it up.

Speaking of Agassi. Let's put some perspective on his career. He might have been the most talented American player ever along with Sampras. But he'll always be an also-ran to Pistol Pete because he was more focused on being a rock star than a tennis player. But unlike the Williams sisters and John McEnroe who suffered from similiar maladies during their careers, he was able to get his focus back in time to become a hall of famer in the second half of his career.He just wasn't dominant enough. And he could never beat Pete enough when it mattered. Heck, Courier used handle him regularly before he burned out. Great player, but I could have done with all the crying.

I Hate NFL Refs

This ticky tack officiating has been driving me nuts since last year's Seattle game.

Tonight was the kicker. Yes, I understand that Coughlin and company have to adjust to these ticky tack refs. But that Carter pass interference call was ridiculous by any reasonable standard. The false starts? Please. The Giants should have won that game by 10 points. They lose by six. Give Peyton and company credit. They were efficient in the pass game and were able to overcome the fact that they couldn't run the ball. But they had no business winning this game.

I think what happens is that the Giants have a rep for being one of the more penalized teams in the league and the refs more on them than other teams. The Giants have a chance to be a very special team this year. Look at the way Tiki and Jacobs moved the ball on the ground. The mismatches that Shockey and Burress create for most secondaries. If Eli continues to progress, they have a chance to put a real hurting on some teams. But they have to find a way to negotiate a way around these penalties. The Giants could have put 30 plus points on the board against that defense. But those damn penalties keep stopping drives in their tracks.

If Coughlin is this stickler for discipline that I keep hearing about, then he has to find a way to cut down on these flags. That more than anything else is keeping this team from becoming one of the elite teams in the league. They can survive Eli's occasional shaky throws and Shockey or Plaxico's drops. They can't survive all that and a million false starts penalties.

The defense also needs to double up on their receiving drills. I counted three or four chances the Giants had to keep the Colts off the boards with timely picks. Instead, the Colts get three points when they should have had none. The difference between the Giants defense and the Ravens, Pats and Steelers is that those would have been picks and their offensive units would have been back on the field. You can't give a QB like Peyton second chances.

Peyton had a decent night. But there's nothing I saw tonight that makes me think that this is the favorite in the AFC. But they did JUST enough and we did the rest. Now the Giants get to go to Philly to face a rejuvenated Donovan McNabb 0-1 instead of 1-0. Fun times.

I'm a Giants fan born and bred. I don't hate the Jets but if it comes down to a showdown between Blue and Green for ....Green always loses.

So when my Jets buddies asked me to buy into their season ticket group, I did for two reason 1)Kickass tailgates 2) and the chance to see some players in person I normally wouldn't see watching NFC games. I never thought I'd actually see winning football this year.

Chad, Eric and company are trying raise my lowered expectations.

Pennington has been getting killed by the fans and talk-radio over the last year and a half. But even before the injuries, arm strength was one of his...well, strengths. It was intellect and accuracy that set him apart. As long as he has enough to get the ball to his target, he can be effective. Kill them softly with the underneath stuff and occasionally hit the defense with a 30 yarder. If Eli had Chad's accuracy, he'd be Marino.

I'm not predicting playoffs for Gang Green, but I think they can be better than 6-10. Their defense is solid and if they can get any sort of running game going, they can be competitive. Today's win was a good one for the Jets even if the opponent wasn't. It's one in the books that noone can take away from them.

7-9 and 8-8 is a reasonable goal for the Jets and their fans. And will keep me interested in something other than the chili and brats in Jets Parking lot when I go to home games.

I'm convinced that these pundits that pick Dallas to go to the Super Bowl don't actually watch Dallas games. I have two words as to why the Cowboys won't win the division much less go to the Big Dance. Drew Bledsoe.

Today big Drew showed the world why the boys in Big D will be also-rans once again.

Jacksonville has a good team with a solid defense. But if you have a QB with some semblance of mobility in the pocket, you win that game by two touchdowns easy with Dallas' defense. That's not Drew Bledsoe.

With Larry Allen gone and Flozell Adams hobbled, you're looking forward to a 9-7 record with pissed off T.O in Ewingville. I can't wait.

Ok...Maybe I Do Care....
Because Andy and Roger forced me to. Thanks fellas.

The US Open final wasn't a great match. Far from it. But it showed me just enough to continue to think that the Grand Slams still matter.

You saw a former champion regain his old swagger and push the big dog to step up his game. You saw the big dog say, "Ok, let's do this." And not only steps it up a notch, but three just to get the message across to his opponent and the rest of the field.

It was apropos that Tiger Woods was there. Woods and Federer are no longer competing with the rest of the field. But with the ghosts of history. Roger's chief competition is Pete, Bjorn and Rod. Tiger's is Jack. Only Tiger can relate to what going Roger is going through right now. And what he needs to to do to stay motivated to stay on top in a way that Pete and Bjorn couldn't. Sampras got married, had kids and had to be dragged to matches. Bjorn thought he couldn't beat McEnroe anymore so he quit. McEnroe wanted to be a rock star. Hopefully Roger can avoid those fates.

And hopefully Roddick, Nadal, Safin and company can elevate the quality of play to match Federer and make these tournaments interesting. In the same way Mickelson, Singh, Furyk and others have done in golf. There's nothing to say that these guys can't break through against Federer and add to their Grand Slam hardware. As I've said before, we'll see how great this guy is, when there are a number of top players in their primes to challenge him. Let's hope Roddick's match today and Nadal's performance against him will be the beginning of a new golden age in the men's game.

As for the women....Great win by Sharapova over Henin-Hardenne. But I still don't care.

More on that later...

Thank You Roger.....

For whupping this tool's ass last night. I almost threw up in my mouth when I saw him with that jersey on the other night.

Is this the best that the brothers can come up with? The sisters get Serena and Venus. As maddening as they can be at times, at they've delivered on the court. This bitch-ass can't even win a five set match.

Arthur is spinning in his grave right now. First Malavai Washington, now this clown. Why can't we represent in every sport except men's tennis?

The Return Of The Dark Lord...With Rants A Blazing

Lots to go over tonight.

Anibal Sanchez's no-hitter makes me giggle for a couple of reasons.

First of all, Sanchez was one of the minor-leaguers the Red Sox gave up to get Josh "Chicks Dig The Long Ball" Beckett. The other was Hanley Ramirez. Think they could use him right now? Bill Simmons five year grace period has officially ended at two.

The other is the fact that the Marlins have four no-hitters in their history. While the Mutts, with all of their great pitchers in their history, have a great big goose-egg. Something this guy, is now painfully aware of right now.

Mets fans...Ryan Howard or Albert Pujols is winning the MVP. Deal with it.

A while back I wrote that Beltran would probably finish second to Prince Albert this year. Now he's a distant third. Take a look at the numbers.

Pujols
G-119 AB-442, Runs-102 Hits-142 HR-44 RBI-116 BB-77 SO-40 BA-.321 OBP-.424 SLG-.686 OPS-1.109

Howard
G-135 AB-502, Runs-89 Hits-155 HR-53 RBI-134 BB-78 SO-154 BA-.309 OBP-.403 SLG-.665 OPS-1.069

Beltran
G-122 AB-455, Runs-113 Hits-130 HR-39 RBI-112 BB-75 SO-87 BA-.286 OBP-.386 SLG-.626 OPS-1.013


I love big Ryno, but to me, Pujols is the MVP hands down. His power numbers are comparable to Howard's despite playing in 16 less games. He has a better batting average and better OPS numbers. And look at the strikeouts, Pujols has 4O punchouts compared to 44 dingers. Just sick. Beltran? His numbers are great and he plays at a premium defensive position. But he also plays in one of the best lineups in the majors and his numbers still don't stack up to those two. He's the best player on the best team in the senior circuit. But he'll have to settle for an appearance in the Fall Classic.

And Mets fans, spare me with A-Rod-Papi defense analogy because it doesn't work in this instance. A-Rod had equal or better stats than Ortiz in every category except for RBIs. He also played on a team that won the division, beating Ortiz's Red Sox. Alex also had several huge hits to win games against the Sox last year. So even if he didn't play an excellent third base last year, he more than made his case for AL MVP.

You'd never know they had the best record in baseball with the way they whine.

Bill Parcells has always had his sycophants in the media. The late Will McDonough, Mike Francessa, Peter King and Gary Myers being the most high profile among them. But what has he been feeding all these idiots this off-season, that he's got them picking his Cowboys to win the NFC East? Are we forgetting that Drew Bledsoe is still their QB? That one of the most divisive players in the history of the game is their number one receiver? That the Giants had one of the better front seven units in the league until every one of their LB's and their backups got hurt. And the Giants strengthened all of their weakenesses from last year (Secondary and LB depth). And that my boy Eli is going to be a year wiser?

The 'Boys should have gotten swept last year by Big Blue. They lucked out a couple wins versus Philly and Washington. I concede that Terrell Owens can help their offense and that their defense will be tough. But as George Foreman says, everyone has a plan until they get hit. Knock around Bledsoe a couple of times and Drew will become the interception ATM he's always been. He's Kerry Collins with a higher IQ. Nothing more.

Here's how I have the NFC East going this year.

Giants 11-5
Eagles 10-6
Cowboys 9-7
Redskins 7-9

Despite a killer schedule, I think the Giants are poised to repeat as NFC East champs and join Seattle and Carolina as the Conference elite. I think Big Blue is better than Seattle and can give Carolina a run for their money this year. McNabb is going to have a big rebound year and getting Donte Stallworth was huge. The Redskins are horrible and Brunnell will show his true colors in '06. Arrington will get his revenge. Eli takes his place as one of the elite QB's in the game this year.

I've been watching tennis for over 20 years and I can't remember a worse time for the sport then now. I'm not taking anything away from Federer and Nadal. They're both very good. But who are they beating? The field is as shallow as it's ever been. In the late seventies and early eighties you had Borg, Connors, Gerulaitis, Lendl, McEnroe, Natase and Vilas. In the eighties, you have Connors, McEnroe, Lendl, Becker, Wilander, Edberg and Noah...all Hall of Famers. In the nineties, You have Sampras, Agassi, Chang, Becker, Edberg, Stich, Kafelnikov, Muster, Ivanisevic, Krajicek, Bruguera and Courier. In the late nineties, early 2000's, you have Agassi, Sampras, Kuerten, Hewitt, Safin, Rafter, Roddick and Federer.

Now? There's a field of two. Yeah those two are very good, but I doubt that either of them dominate a deep field like in years past. They've come into prominence during a transition period. The old lions like Sampras and Agassi are gone. Many of the other top players like Safin, Roddick, Federer and other have struggled through injuries and mind games. And the rest of the field is either too young or not good enough to consistently challenge the big dogs.

Federer and Nadal didn't have to face as deep a field as previous number ones like Pete, Lendl, Agassi, Edberg, Becker or Courier have. Clay-courters, Serve and Volleyers, big servers, baseliners. Federer might challenge Pete's record. He's a wonderful player. But in my mind, he's a great player playing in a very weak era for the game. Same with Nadal.

The women's game is a little better, but it's a shame that the two best players in the game can't decide if they're entertainers or athletes. The Williams sisters can no longer sleepwalk their way to finals. The field has caught up and they're ready to get some payback. Serena's fourth round match versus Amelie Mauresmo was a disgrace. She was a ham sandwich away from exploding. She lost that match because she was fat, not because Mauresmo was better.

Mauresmo has to be the worst number one player in recent memory. Congrats on her two Grand Slams this year, but I don't think anyone thinks that she would have the top spot if Henin-Hardenne or Cljisters didn't get hurt or the Williams sisters decided to practice every once in a while. She's there because she plays every tournament. Which in this age of lowered expectations is a big deal.

Until Sharapova wins another Grand Slam, I don't want to hear her name in the conversation.

Try to get me to care about either final this year. Please.