tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89699096928074284662024-03-13T15:12:55.989-04:00The Gangs of GothamUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-86587888550875237332012-01-23T21:01:00.000-05:002012-01-23T21:01:18.091-05:00Mets Current Outfield Market<div style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">According to <a data-mce-href="http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012-mlb-free-agents" href="http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012-mlb-free-agents">MLB Trade Rumors's free agent tracker</a> there are currently fifteen outfielders still available on the free agent market for the Mets to potentially bring in.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">If we are to go by the tweet below by Adam Rubin, and <strong>Cody Ross</strong> is off the market then that number immediately drops to fourteen and we can make that number continually shrink.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QQPQAyoPZ6Y/Tx4QzM_Q5nI/AAAAAAAAAQM/FCWkx_igSkg/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-01-23+at+8.58.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QQPQAyoPZ6Y/Tx4QzM_Q5nI/AAAAAAAAAQM/FCWkx_igSkg/s400/Screen+shot+2012-01-23+at+8.58.png" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">If it is a lefty the Mets seek only ten of the fourteen left are either left-handed or switch hitters.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">We can immediately drop that number to nine going under the assumption that <strong>Johnny Damon</strong> can no longer play the outfield.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Now going back to Rubin's tweet we can get rid of a few more if the Mets want to spend under $1 million dollars.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Despite a down year, <strong>Raul Ibanez</strong> still hit twenty homeruns and is likely to get a deal larger than $1 million from an American League team looking for a veteran DH type, <strong>J.D. Drew</strong> would probably retire before taking a deal worth less than a million, and <strong>Juan Pierre</strong> and <strong>Kosuke Fukudome</strong> will likely cost more than a million if/when they sign. Then there is <strong>Milton Bradley</strong> who is coming off $10 million dollars per year contract, but there is a decent chance his career could be done.<a data-mce-href="http://metsmerizedonline.com/?attachment_id=70422" href="http://metsmerizedonline.com/?attachment_id=70422" rel="attachment wp-att-70422"><img alt="" class="alignright wp-image-70422" data-mce-src="http://metsmerizedonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ankiel-300x225.jpg" height="144" src="http://metsmerizedonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/ankiel-300x225.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; float: right;" title="IMG_3322" width="192" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">We are down to just three options left (ranked in no particular order).</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">1. <strong>Rick Ankiel</strong> - Ankiel will never hit for a high average due to his huge strikeout problem, but walks at a decent clip (7.9%) and has some pop (.177 ISO). Where he does provide real value is in the field where he can play all three positions with a canon like arm. He earned $1.5 million last year, but is due for a salary cut.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">2. <strong>Corey Patterson</strong> - Patterson has never lived up to the hype he had as a prospect, but he has managed to hold a solid major league career and always manages to find himself on a roster. Because he is likely to receive a minor league deal he actually offers some potential upside for the Mets to sign. Definitely a guy I would keep my eye on if I were the Mets.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">3. <strong>Jay Gibbons</strong> - If he offers to <a data-mce-href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3437067" href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3437067">play for free</a> again I think the Mets might take him up on his offer this time. Gibbons actually looked like he had something left in 2010, but 2011 was a different story. Doesn't offer the same kind of defensive versatility as Ankiel or Patterson.</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Not a terrific group of guys, but I don't think anyone is expecting any different from the Mets right now.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-19251482161255576242012-01-22T14:27:00.000-05:002012-01-22T14:27:13.105-05:00Thoughts On the Giants GameThe nerves are really starting to set in for me. I can't even imagine what's going though the player's minds.<br />
<br />
Last week I was really hoping if we advanced we would get to play the 49ers and not the Saints because of our regular season matchups between the two teams. After watching the Niners offense come alive with some Eli-esque 4th quarter magic, it has me a little scared. Especially when you look at the fact Frank Gore carried the ball just 13 times and still closed in on 100 yards. I don't know if Alex Smith can throw 40+ times again and be successful, but I do know that a little bit of confidence goes a long way.<br />
<br />
The only thing that keeps me from being terrified going into this game is the 49ers lack of receivers. I am as big of a Michael Crabtree fan as there is (bought his jersey before he even signed an NFL contract), but he has a tendency to go missing for weeks at a time. He caught a TD last week, but overall had a poor effort with just 25 yards and lead all Niners receivers with those 25 yards and 4 catches.<br />
<br />
The only guy to look out for is Vernon Davis who is a man on a mission these playoffs. Granted it was one game, but I don't think he has ever played with such emotion in his life. He only went for 4 and 40 in the last matchup, but burnt Greg Jones for a 31 yard touchdown, luckily Jones rarely sees the field because Davis is a huge size miss match with him. If the Giants are able to stuff the run early on I would really consider doubling Davis or have the safeties cheat in Davis direction to give the linebackers some help over the top with him. Speaking of the running game...<br />
<br />
Last time neither team had their top guy. Gore started the game, but got hurt after gaining nothing on 6 carries. Kendall Hunter was pretty effective replacing him, the Niners just didn't give him the ball enough. The Giants on the other hand were completely without Ahmad Bradshaw and handed the wall to D.J. Ware 9 times as a result. Brandon Jacobs was meh, but overall the Giants wound up with 93 yards and in my opinion the lose of Bradshaw was a huge factor. Kendall Hunter is a beast so the Niners didn't really lose much in my opinion with Gore out, but there is a substantial difference between Bradshaw and Ware. With the Giants improving run game in recent days with a healthy backfield 100 yards should easily be in the conversation for today's game.<br />
<br />
Overall last game against the Niners the Giants amounted over 400 yards and that was with an inferior offense to what they have right now. The coaches didn't trust Victor Cruz as much back then and he came up huge for the Giants at the end of the season. I see Cruz as a good matchup play against the Niners and see him torching them at least once, which is why I took him for my Gridiron Challenge team over Hakeen Nicks.<br />
<br />
To sum up how I see this matchup:<br />
<br />
<b>QB's</b>: Giants > Niners by a considerable margin. I said confidence goes a long way, but I have one of those gut feelings that Smith will stink it up this week because people are expecting at least decent results as where last week the talk was could he even put up 20 against an inferior Saints defense.<br />
<br />
<b>RB's</b>: Giants < Niners. Gore is the best of all four RBs and Gore and Hunter are the better duo of running backs. If you wanna go this far Alex Smith is also a ten times better runner than Eli.<br />
<br />
<b>WR's</b>: Giants > Niners. Not even a contest. Next.<br />
<br />
<b>TE's</b>: Giants < Niners. As I said Vernon Davis is my number one fear, even more so than the defense.<br />
<br />
<b>D-Line</b>: Giants = Niners. I think the Niners have the better starting group, but no one can compete with the Giants depth in the D-Line.<br />
<br />
<b>LB's</b>: Giants < Niners. I would prefer to have Patrick Willis on the field by himself over three linebackers for the Giants. He had a monster game last time and the Giants will NEED to stop him to win.<br />
<br />
<b>DB's</b>: Giants = Niners. Niners defenders can make the plays, but are susceptible to getting beat deep and the Giants' guys are underrated. They are finally playing in the playoffs as I expected them to play all season long.<br />
<br />
<b>Special Teams</b>: Giants < Niners. Not even a close one. Niners have the better punter, kicker, and return man. They are dangerous in this regard.<br />
<br />
<b>HC</b>: Giants < Niners. I'm a Coughlin fan, but Jim Harbough is the man. Really inspiring and smart coach.<br />
<br />
<b>Number one key to the game</b>: Jason Pierre-Paul was shutout last game versus the Niners. He must have a huge game getting to the quarterback and stopping the run for the Giants D to be successful. He is so good that I have complete faith he will show up this game despite being a sophomore in the league.<br />
<br />
<b>Prediction</b>: I have the <b>Giants over the Niners 27 - 20</b>. Would I be a true fan if I had it any other way?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-16939480162990308502012-01-22T02:21:00.001-05:002012-01-22T02:21:45.830-05:00Yankees Interested in Gerardo Concepcion<a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7475557/cuban-left-hander-gerardo-concepcion-nearing-mlb-free-agency?eleven=twelve">Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes</a> reports that Cuban defector <b>Gerardo Concepcion</b> has officially declared for free agency and the Yankees are one of the five teams expressing the most interest in the 18-year-old left handed pitcher.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/001/821/375/Gerardo-concepcion15-16_display_image.jpg?1327090512" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/001/821/375/Gerardo-concepcion15-16_display_image.jpg?1327090512" width="200" /></a></div>Rojas also says Concepcion will put on a training session Thursday at the Yankees facility in the Dominican Republic.<br />
<br />
The 64,000 dollar question is who is Gerardo Concepcion?<br />
<br />
There is not much out there about him so I am guessing we will find out a lot more come Thursday, but what we do know as of now is he is being described as a finesse lefty. His fastball is reportedly at 89-91 mph, which if true is actually pretty good considering his age and his 6'1", 175 lbs frame, that leaves some room for projection.<br />
<br />
According to <a href="http://www.elnuevoherald.com/2011/06/28/969908/confirman-fuga-de-lanzador-cubano.html">this article</a> Concepcion described his best tool as control and goes on to say that he has a good curve and efficient slider. His stats as seen below don't necessarily back this claim 100%.<br />
<br />
<b>Stats</b>:<br />
<table border="0" style="background-color: white; width: 590px;"><tbody>
<tr> <td>Age</td> <td>W</td> <td>L</td> <td>ERA</td> <td>G</td> <td>GS</td> <td>IP</td> <td>H</td> <td>R</td> <td>ER</td> <td>HR</td> <td>BB</td> <td>SO</td> <td>H/9</td> <td>BB/9</td> <td>SO/9</td> </tr>
<tr> <td>18</td> <td>10</td> <td>3</td> <td>3.36</td> <td>21</td> <td>16</td> <td>101.2</td> <td>103</td> <td>42</td> <td>38</td> <td>6</td> <td>43</td> <td>53</td> <td>9.1</td> <td>3.8</td> <td>4.7</td> </tr>
</tbody> </table><br />
For someone who is supposed to have great command and a great curveball he walks a fair amount of batters and doesn't really strike out anyone. Granted he is extremely young so he does get the benefit of the doubt, but I would hope the Yankees don't commit too much if they choose to go after him. He definitely has potential winning the Rookie of the Year award in Cuba, however, I am not getting ready to jump all aboard the Concepcion bandwagon just yet.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-53877554868621892242012-01-21T16:36:00.001-05:002012-01-21T16:36:38.668-05:00Bounce Back Candidate: A.J. Burnett<a href="http://www.stirringstraw.blogspot.com/2012/01/pinedamontero-number-five-starter-dh.html">Earlier in the podcast</a> Matt and I briefly talked about who was going to ultimately win the Yankees No. 5 starter job. We both pretty much agreed that <b>A.J. Burnett</b> would win by default, but a deeper look shows that Burnett is actually poised for a nice bounce back year.<br />
<br />
I mentioned that Burnett’s 17% HR/FB rate last year looked extremely fluky and was way off his career average. A deeper look shows that was the highest home run rate in Major League Baseball since 2007 when who else, but A.J. Burnett posted a 17.7% HR/FB. Burnett followed that year up by going 18-10 with a 4.07 ERA over 221.1 innings. The year was fueled by a much, much better 9.6% HR/9.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3574/5815058030_ee5a2ff0f5_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="162" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3574/5815058030_ee5a2ff0f5_o.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="background-color: #fefefe; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; text-align: left;">(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>A big difference since that 2008 season, however, is the fact his fastball has dipped 1.6 mph and the decreased velocity has seemed to really have an affect Burnett. He tried to adjust by throwing his fastball an astonishing 10% less than average and rely more on his changeup. He attempted to become a three-pitch guy for the first time and it failed. If he gets back to throwing primarily fastball and curveballs he could return to being a decent pitcher.<br />
<br />
The reason I actually see him having the bounce back is because his peripherals where no different last year than normal. His 8.18 K/P and 3.92 BB/9 were a little worse than his average, but not by much. The hits allowed were also no different; the only major change was the home runs. A inch here or an inch there and things could look very different.<br />
<br />
I am not trying to say Burnett will be a miracle and carry the Yankees, but there is every chance he performs like a No. 3 starter in the No. 5 slot. That is something that cannot be taken lightly. His FIP last year was 4.77 and his xFIP was even better at 3.86. Assuming he is healthy I don’t see why he can’t win 10+ games and throw a 190+ innings with an ERA in the low-to-mid 4’s.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-47269362178407882712012-01-21T02:00:00.000-05:002012-01-21T02:00:15.109-05:00Knicks Are Nearing the Bottom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KEAqNLk5Dp8/TxpZGserRRI/AAAAAAAAAQE/-sxwv7WzBTI/s1600/nyk12011.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KEAqNLk5Dp8/TxpZGserRRI/AAAAAAAAAQE/-sxwv7WzBTI/s400/nyk12011.png" width="450" /></a></div>The Knicks can't go much lower than they are after this lose to the Bucks.<br />
<br />
There has been plenty of talk that <b>Carmelo Anthony</b> and <b>Amar'e Stoudemire</b> can't play together, but I'm not so sure that is really what's wrong. Those two playing together isn't what has Melo shooting 41%, nearly 5% lower than his career average, and Amar'e shooting a putrid 41%, an astonishing 12% lower than his average. There has to be something more behind this than the clashing styles of two superstars.<br />
<br />
Quite frankly I am not sure if their hearts are in it. Melo has been dealing with injuries, which very well could account for his slight down turn this year, but Amar'e doesn't have that excuse—for once in his career. It is possible that Amar'e's ego took a hit when the Knicks brought in Melo to be 'the man' when he was carrying the Knicks to the playoffs on his own. Before last season Amar'e was all talk about the Knicks needing to bring in more help, but I think he really fell in love with being he guy in the biggest stage and hasn't adjusted as well to playing Robin.<br />
<br />
Just a theory of mine, but it makes a ton of sense. There is no logistical reason why Melo and Amar'e couldn't perform well together.<br />
<br />
Now here is a giant list a problems I have with the Knicks right now:<br />
<br />
<ul><li><b>Amar'e</b> has to stop fouling the whole entire team by the 2nd quarter.</li>
<li><b>Iman Shumpert</b>'s biggest problem coming out of college was his jumpshot and yet he has proceeded to settle for jumpshot after jumpshot after jumpshot. He has the athleticism and ability to drive with the best of them and needs to start doing so. He has made some clutch shots from deep, but that is not what he is supposed to do.</li>
<li><b>Josh Harrellson</b> has to realize he is not Dirk Nowtizki. He is chucking up 3's like it is nobody's business (56% of his field goal attempts are from behind the arc). I like Harrellson and am not going to complain too much about his production considering his draft position and what not, but with the Knicks lack of big men he has to use that body to bang down low and try and open up the outside. He has a great shot just needs to come back with how often he fires.</li>
<li>I have no words for what has happened to <b>Toney Douglas</b>'s shooting. I was a big fan of his last year and he just looks lost nowadays.</li>
<li><b>Landry Fields</b> has been more of the player he was towards the end of last year, but I think over the last few games he was looking more like the Fields of old.</li>
</ul><div>And my list of good things:</div><div><ul><li><b>Tyson Chandler</b>. He has been everything the Knicks hoped for when they signed him and has been having a terrific year. Only player worthy of being called a New York Knick right now.</li>
</ul></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-77004203799592163142012-01-19T23:15:00.000-05:002012-01-19T23:15:59.234-05:00Things Not Looking Good For Gary CarterThe <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/gary-carter-fight-brain-cancer-takes-turn-worse-tumors-found-ny-mets-hall-famer-brain-article-1.1008797">NY Daily News</a> is reporting that Gary Carter's brain cancer has become extremely grave.<br />
<br />
According to the report several new tumors have shown up on his brain and that his symptoms have considerably worsened as of late.<br />
<br />
Doctors are debating if they should continue to forgo treatment on Carter.<br />
<hr /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cjmndv9b-w0/TuzF_v7hQdI/AAAAAAAAAKs/eF2CDLVR8GM/s1600/nickpugliese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cjmndv9b-w0/TuzF_v7hQdI/AAAAAAAAAKs/eF2CDLVR8GM/s1600/nickpugliese.jpg" /></a></div><b>Nicholas Pugliese</b>: I'm not old enough to have watched Carter play, but I still have the utmost respect for him. Based on stories I've heard and reruns of the Mets I've watched it's clear he was a great player.<br />
<br />
That being said, I am not sold on the idea his number needs to be retired.<br />
<br />
I do not have a close connection with that '86 team and based off the numbers I have to say he doesn't deserve it. Four All-Star appearances and a World Sereis victory is extremely impressive, but his time with the Mets was so short lived that I just don't see it. There are a number of guys who deserve it over him that have yet to secure the honor, but that is a conversation for another day, and his extremely unfortunate illness should not pressure the Mets into retiring his number.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-22458815096598738382012-01-19T15:41:00.000-05:002012-01-19T16:09:10.745-05:00Brad Richards Playing Tentative?<b>Disclaimer</b>: I need to start off by saying when all factors are accounted for I am NOT worried about <b>Brad Richards </b>long term. While he isn't having a terrific season his .705 points per game are respectable and his 6 game winning goals are a team high. Not to mention it is evident he is making an effort to change his game to fit the Rangers style as he has already surpassed his hits and blocked shots totals from the past two years, including ranking 4th amongst New York Rangers forwards in blocked shots. Then there is the integral part he has played in the development of <b>Michael Del Zotto</b>, which is priceless. That being said, Richards simply is not playing as well as he could or should be.<br />
<br />
It has been no secret that Richards has struggled with the transition to New York. He has been public about the fact, <b>John Tortorella</b> has been public about it, and his inconsistent play backs up the claim.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-356BLvM2C1k/TxhsAZjPvpI/AAAAAAAAAP8/0TVwwaWVobM/s1600/brad_richards.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-356BLvM2C1k/TxhsAZjPvpI/AAAAAAAAAP8/0TVwwaWVobM/s320/brad_richards.png" width="320" /></a></div>He started off great, had a dull period, put up a point a game for a two and a half week stretch from late November to early December, but has since put up just 5 goals and 2 assists over the last 18 games. The goals are just about his career norm, but for a guy who was brought in with the reputation of being an elite distributor that kind of production is just unacceptable.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq"><b>Fact</b>: He is on pace to finish with the lowest assist total of his career, including a 2008-2009 season when he played in just 56 games.</blockquote>Now going back to the title of this article, which it is my observation of Richards's play lately.<br />
<br />
For most of the game he seems afraid to carry the puck up the ice. I am understanding that the Rangers are a dump and chase hockey team, but much too often Richards is simply dumping the puck off to <b>Ryan Callahan</b>, <b>Brandon Dubinsky</b>, or whomever is on his line all the way back in the neutral zone and they wind up carrying the puck into the zone anyway. Richards has to get back to what he does best and use his ability to posses the puck in order to get in down near the hash marks and set up his teammates.<br />
<br />
And quiet frankly when he has tried to make passes they just have not been very good. At the first sight of pressure he has been making quick passes, putting teammates in awkward positions and setting them up for failure to either get crunched or have no where to go with the puck. His displays of indecision has also led to a high quantity of turnovers, with his 22 turnovers ranking second amongst forwards on the Rangers.<br />
<br />
This might sound a bit whacky (especially since I think <b>Derek Stepan</b> has almost passed a little too often), but Richards needs to start watching Stepan and play more like he has this season. It seems like at least two or three times a game Stepan leads a rush into the offensive zone and sets up a teammate up for a perfect scoring chance. This type of play is what was expected of Richards when he signed his big contract.<br />
<br />
Richards needs to realize playing a dump and chase game does not mean you have to dump and chase all the time. It is about picking your spots to rush and right now Stepan is capitalizing on those moments while Richards is not. I saw Richards make a nice rush at the end of the Nashville game, but the game was all but over at that point and he is not doing it consistently enough or early enough for it to be effective.<br />
<br />
The season is still young enough for Richards to make adjustments and he has already performed clutch enough for me to believe come playoff time he will be ready to go. Still, he needs to shake this tentative/indecisive nature and get back to doing what he does best by possessing the puck and adding another dimension to the Rangers offense.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-35543855487323873492012-01-18T20:08:00.000-05:002012-01-18T20:11:31.249-05:00Mets Addition By Subtraction<a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7475746/espn-announces-lineup-sunday-night-baseball-games?eleven=twelve">ESPN released its schedule for Sunday Night Baseball</a> and Mets fans should find themselves blessed that the Mets do not take the Sunday stage once.<br />
<a href="http://espn.go.com/i/mlb/sunday-night-baseball-80.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://espn.go.com/i/mlb/sunday-night-baseball-80.png" /></a><br />
Usually getting worse only has its negatives, but this scenario seems like a huge addition by subtraction. The fans get more Gary, Keith and Ron and don ot have to listen to the horrid ESPN crew. Granted Jon Miller and Joe Morgan are no longer there, but I'm not sure I trust the new crew anymore than them.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately for Yankees fans they have three of these games: April 15th against the Angels, April 22nd against the Red Sox, and July 8th against the Red Sox.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-86159450601257412132012-01-18T19:25:00.000-05:002012-01-18T19:25:59.636-05:00Gotham Power Rankings: January 8-14<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SgXbaSp0ltA/TxdiWBzttHI/AAAAAAAAAPs/B9UjuDCk3EY/s1600/gpr1-8-14-11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SgXbaSp0ltA/TxdiWBzttHI/AAAAAAAAAPs/B9UjuDCk3EY/s640/gpr1-8-14-11.png" width="558" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-schguaodYHw/TxdiW3ge5kI/AAAAAAAAAP0/ZzNwZg4AOYk/s1600/gpr1-8-14-11-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-schguaodYHw/TxdiW3ge5kI/AAAAAAAAAP0/ZzNwZg4AOYk/s1600/gpr1-8-14-11-2.png" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-83633896014271937702011-12-25T14:17:00.000-05:002011-12-25T14:17:41.512-05:00Merry Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3HXaPtTIP3E/Tvd2RqC4KdI/AAAAAAAAAOw/-4of3rW0vOM/s1600/Ag_iRlwCEAAhqrE.jpg_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3HXaPtTIP3E/Tvd2RqC4KdI/AAAAAAAAAOw/-4of3rW0vOM/s400/Ag_iRlwCEAAhqrE.jpg_large.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The legend continues. Via Avery's twitter.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-71685590662958958332011-12-24T12:45:00.000-05:002011-12-24T12:46:00.005-05:00NY Rangers Go Carolling<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rM9s8b9Dluc" width="560"></iframe></center><br />
Absolute classic.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-25056753406585784162011-12-24T12:18:00.000-05:002011-12-24T12:18:46.323-05:00Week 16 Previews: G-Men at Gang GreenNot quiet the Sharks vs. the Jets, but the G-Men better hope they can swarm all over the Sanchize if they want a chance at winning.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WXoacswsfO4/TvYF8zlWxhI/AAAAAAAAAOY/hasREp0THPw/s1600/R2TTD00Z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WXoacswsfO4/TvYF8zlWxhI/AAAAAAAAAOY/hasREp0THPw/s200/R2TTD00Z.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Jason Pierre-Paul</b> has been an absolute tear the last couple weeks, as he has been the whole season, but the Giants are going to need a huge game from <b>Justin Tuck </b>for any shot at winning this game. The Giants just don't have the man power to cover<b> Santonio Holmes</b>,<b> Plaxico Burress</b>, and <b>Dustin Keller</b> all day, so a hand will need to always be in Sanchez's face. Sanchez isn't the best quarterback under pressure either so the Giants might actually force some turnovers that way.<br />
<br />
Despite everyone taking shots at <b>Victor Cruz</b> for his comments directed at <b>Darelle Revis</b>, my key for the Jets victory is if they can contain Mr. Cruz. Revis is going to have his hands full all day with <b>Hakeem Nicks</b>, and much like how the Jets had trouble guarding <b>Wes Welker</b> when Revis was focused on <b>Randy Moss</b>, Cruz coming out of the slot is going to be a big problem. Cruz may not be on the same level as Welker, but I remember Welker putting up some crazy career best total against the Jets and Cruz does have a similar big play ability which makes him very dangerous. Add into the fact that <b>Jim Leonhard</b> is hurt and it makes me even more worried on if they can contain him. I can also see Rex bringing some blitz packages to make up for no Leonhard and trying to contain the Giants recently hot running game, which opens up that quick pass for Eli to Cruz.<br />
<br />
Now I think this is a game the Jets SHOULD win, which is why I am going to pick the Giants. The G-Men have tendency to play down to their competition (see Redskins, Seahawks, Redskins) and up to their competition (see Cowboys, Packers, Patriots). Ill also take Eli over Sanchez is a pressure game so put me down for<b> 31-21 Giants</b>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-82532254826938286412011-12-24T11:28:00.000-05:002011-12-24T11:28:02.109-05:00Week 15 Picks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dlO6WFNodlo/Tu2KN0VxQfI/AAAAAAAAALc/a_G5_lvAN2c/s1600/nfl-no-fun-league1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dlO6WFNodlo/Tu2KN0VxQfI/AAAAAAAAALc/a_G5_lvAN2c/s200/nfl-no-fun-league1.jpg" width="186" /></a></div>I only went 9-7 on my picks last week because gangs of Gotham screwed me over. I had Houston winning Thursday night so I am already 0-1 this week.<br />
<ul><li>Dolphins at Patriots - <b>Patriots</b></li>
<li>Jaguars at Titans - <b>Titans</b></li>
<li>Buccaneers at Panthers - <b>Panthers</b></li>
<li>Rams at Steelers - <b>Steelers</b></li>
<li>Browns at Ravens - <b>Ravens</b></li>
<li>Cardinals at Bengals -<b> Cardinals</b></li>
<li>Vikings at Redskins - <b>Redskins</b></li>
<li>Broncos at Bills -<b> Broncos</b></li>
<li>Raiders at Chiefs - <b>Raiders</b></li>
<li>Chargers at Lions - <b>Chargers</b></li>
<li>Eagles at Cowboys - <b>Eagles</b></li>
<li>49ners at Seahawks - <b>49ners</b></li>
<li>Bears at Packers - <b>Packers</b></li>
<li>Falcons at Saints - <b>Saints</b></li>
</ul>Three games of the week will be Cardinals at Bengals, Chargers at Lions, and Eagles at Cowboys (not counting your hometown playoff of course). I have a good feelings the Cardinals game will be wild, the Chargers and Lions are set up for a shoot off, and the Eagles and Cowboys are naturally a great fit and with so much on the line this game could be beyond great. A lot more exciting games than I was expecting late in the season.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-34889539857752977962011-12-23T11:16:00.000-05:002011-12-23T11:16:01.403-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L1wR6NbnGos/TvSo0AtTCkI/AAAAAAAAAOM/1sXNdjHdUsM/s1600/NYKEvolution2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L1wR6NbnGos/TvSo0AtTCkI/AAAAAAAAAOM/1sXNdjHdUsM/s400/NYKEvolution2012.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Sheer beauty.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-35479965186743880002011-12-23T03:41:00.000-05:002011-12-23T03:45:46.452-05:00Matt Moulson is the Most Underappreciated Man in Hockey<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2kNubPY3m7c/TvQ7HV6kiqI/AAAAAAAAAOA/DYcuTuKq20U/s1600/Matt_Moulson_Islanders7.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="113" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2kNubPY3m7c/TvQ7HV6kiqI/AAAAAAAAAOA/DYcuTuKq20U/s200/Matt_Moulson_Islanders7.gif" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Over the last three seasons ('09-'10, '10-'11, '11-12): <b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Player A</b>: 76 goals, 50 assists, 126 points<br />
<b>Player B</b>: 76 goals, 64 assists, 140 points<br />
<b>Player C</b>: 81 goals, 76 assists, 158 points<br />
<br />
Player A makes $3.13 million dollars per year (3 years $9.4 mill), Player B makes $5.27 million per year (11 years $58 mill), Player C makes $5.4 million per year (5 years $27 mill).<br />
<br />
Player B was a 1st round pick and has one All-Star appearance, Player C was a 1st round pick and has one All-Star appearance, and Player A was a 9th round pick with no All-Star appearances.<br />
<br />
It should not be difficult to figure out from the title of the article that <b>Matt Moulson</b> is Player A. But if you could not figure it out, Player B is <b>Jeff Carter</b> and Player C is <b>Phil Kessel</b>. Both Carter and Kessel are considered stars in the league with Kessel being a borderline "superstar" and yet Moulson would be lucky to get a call for the All-Star game.<br />
<br />
If you break it down to points for each million they make per year, Moulson scores 13.42 points per million, Carter scores 8.86 points per million, and Kessel scores 9.75 points per million. Moulson is giving the Islanders way more bang for the buck than these two All-Stars and he doesn't just score.<br />
<br />
He has 206 hits over the last 3 seasons compared to 129 for Carter, and 30 for Kessel. He has 115 blocked shots compared to 86 for Carter, and 41 for Kessel. Lastly while Carter is on the worst team in hockey right now, but Moulson's team is not very far behind, and Kessel is on a very good one yet Moulson leads the three of them with a +5.<br />
<br />
I know this article is going all over the place, but I am trying to throw as many stats out there as possible to show just how good Matt Moulson is. Moulson is one of the most talented forwards in the league with a serious knack for putting the puck in the back of the net. Moulson's career 14.3% shooting percentage is well above the 11.8% of <b>Alex Ovechkin</b>, the 13.3% of <b>Marian Gaborik</b>, and 12.5% of <b>Evgeni Malkin</b><span class="st">—three of the most prolific scorers in the league.</span> If Moulson had played a few miles away for the Rangers instead of the Islanders he would no doubt be considered a star.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-78047935053387862432011-12-22T16:26:00.000-05:002011-12-22T16:26:49.912-05:00My First Game of the Year<center></center><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DVCVWMVw81A" width="420">&lt;br&gt;</iframe></center><br />
Getting ready for my first Rangers game of the year right now. Ah! So pumped. This is possibly the No. 1 thing I hate about being away for college. I'm used to my 20 games a year and we are 30 games into the season and I am just getting my first game in. Not to mention with the renovations they did to the seating my tickets are now closer than they used to be and I am the only one in my family who has yet to season. Now if only I was old enough to legally by beer at the game this night would be perfect.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-39565633588895031952011-12-22T15:46:00.000-05:002011-12-22T15:49:14.893-05:00Montoya and Ullstrom Add to Concussion Total<Center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/IDjlZW837WE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center><br />
The other night against the Winnipeg Jets, both <b>Al Montoya</b> and <b>David Ullstrom</b> were injured and are now out indefinitely with concussions.<br />
<br />
Ullstrom went down in sort of a freak injury, but Montoya was taken out in brutal fashion by Jets' winger <b>Evander Kane</b>, who crashed the net hard and then lifted his and made contract to Montoya's head.<br />
<hr /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cjmndv9b-w0/TuzF_v7hQdI/AAAAAAAAAKs/eF2CDLVR8GM/s1600/nickpugliese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cjmndv9b-w0/TuzF_v7hQdI/AAAAAAAAAKs/eF2CDLVR8GM/s1600/nickpugliese.jpg" /></a></div><b>Nicholas Pugliese</b>: This marks the 5th and 6th Islanders to go down with a concussion this year. Combine that with the two New York Rangers to be affected and that is eight New Yorkers out for part of the year with a concussion. A bit ridiculous if you ask me.<br />
<br />
The Ullstrom and <b>Michael Sauer</b> one's were unfortunate and caused by the boards, but that play on Montoya was just terrible. I understand it is hard for a player to stop when driving to the net, but you can not cross-check the goalie to the head. That is simply unacceptable under any circumstance. How he has not been suspended I don't know.<br />
<br />
I'm also pretty upset the Islanders pulled a Buffalo Sabers and did not go after Kane. Not to mention Kane is 5'10", not a monster like LucicUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-10464670759431193912011-12-20T21:20:00.000-05:002011-12-20T21:20:08.730-05:00Gotham Power Rankings: December 19-25<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tzt4mNNDPpE/TvE-lJTY1qI/AAAAAAAAANg/4SstqTO-Z40/s1600/dec19-25rankings.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tzt4mNNDPpE/TvE-lJTY1qI/AAAAAAAAANg/4SstqTO-Z40/s640/dec19-25rankings.gif" width="558" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-38qg6tTGHtk/TvFCIQrWFyI/AAAAAAAAANo/RkXPsqG2vGc/s1600/OVERALLRANK.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-38qg6tTGHtk/TvFCIQrWFyI/AAAAAAAAANo/RkXPsqG2vGc/s320/OVERALLRANK.png" width="320" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-21505363195608825202011-12-20T17:40:00.000-05:002011-12-20T17:40:42.560-05:00Gotham Hall of Infamy: Joe NamathIt is time start announcing the members of Gotham's Hall of Infamy. This is not like the standard Hall of Fame. It not only looks at the player's on the field accomplishments, but it also focuses on their personality and off field actions.<br />
<br />
A perfect example of someone that won't make this Hall is <b>Mariano Rivera</b>. The best closer in the history of baseball, but he doesn't have anything else to give. He is the ultimate professional who showed up for work, did his job better than anyone else, and went home. That is not the type of talent we are trying to recognize here.<br />
<br />
With that being said, get your popcorn ready.<br />
<hr /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--tyS7JcVYho/TvD2FlSjI7I/AAAAAAAAAMU/ZAFfmAOKUX4/s1600/namath-farrah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--tyS7JcVYho/TvD2FlSjI7I/AAAAAAAAAMU/ZAFfmAOKUX4/s320/namath-farrah.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>- Joseph William Namath<br />
- Also goes by Broadway Joe, Joe Willie Namath, Joe Willie Whiteshoes<br />
- New York Jets quarterback from 1965-1976<br />
- 2x AFL MVP<br />
- 5x AFL All-Star<br />
- AFL Championship (1968)<br />
- Super Bowl III - "The Greatest Game Ever Played"<br />
- Super Bowl III MVP<br />
- Pro Football Hall of Fame<br />
- #12 Retired<br />
<br />
<br />
Broaday Joe was the man going all the way back to his high school days. He would throw down routinely in basketball games, was heavily recruited by multiple baseball teams, and was obviously the star football player. Couldn't even get into his first choice (University of Maryland) because his SAT scores were too low and had to "settle" for Bama where he lead them to a National Championship. Maryland really messed that one up.<br />
<br />
Wound up being drafted 1st overall by the AFL and 12th overall by the NFL and signed a record setting contract of $427,000. He won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1965, was the first player to throw for 4,000 in 1967, and won the championship in 1968. <br />
<br />
Every New Yorker, however, will most remember his on the field play of his Super Bowl III championship over the Baltimore Colts, aka "the greatest team in football history", when he guaranteed the victory over the 19 point favorites. That is the shot calling of a true boss.<br />
<br />
Now let's get into the stuff that is really important.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.leninimports.com/raquel_welch_gallery_38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.leninimports.com/raquel_welch_gallery_38.jpg" width="159" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giselle who?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><ul><li>Changed the role of the quarterback on the field, but more so off the field, helping them gain the "superstar" reputation.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Called the Commissioner's bluff when he threatened Joe for opening a bar. Namath retired from football instead of giving up his business venture and the Commish came crawling back to him, letting him keep his shares in Florida and Boston as well as future bars so Joe returned to the league. </li>
</ul><ul><li>Broadway made Ocho Cinco antics look weak when he popularized wearing a full length fur coat on the sidelines and low-cut white cleats. </li>
</ul><ul><li> Appeared in over a dozen television shows and even tried to be the host of Family Feud. Even appeared on Broadway once to live up to his nickname.</li>
</ul><ul><li> Namath's immortality came with his commercial with Farrah Fawcett. A moment I will forever envy him for. </li>
</ul><ul><li>His dating resume includes Janis Joplin, Mamie Van Doren, Phylis Davis, Randi Oakes, and of course the amazing Raquel Welch. The true original playboy who would made Tom Brady look like an inferior species of human being if he was playing today. </li>
</ul><ul></ul><br />
<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OM59nSkjEWU" width="420"></iframe></center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-13942377001822352862011-12-19T02:49:00.001-05:002011-12-19T02:51:55.579-05:00Priceless<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h3CcYdu5wME/Tu7skCR58bI/AAAAAAAAAMA/MLHs9bxNUa8/s1600/Ag_wcA5CIAEL8Ev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h3CcYdu5wME/Tu7skCR58bI/AAAAAAAAAMA/MLHs9bxNUa8/s400/Ag_wcA5CIAEL8Ev.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>Via: Brandon Dubinsky's twitter.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-60211778948735837032011-12-18T22:10:00.000-05:002011-12-18T22:11:02.639-05:00Davis Will Join the Knicks<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WyUm3FPDPJA/Tu6rD-fANpI/AAAAAAAAAL0/ohlmnJU49dc/s1600/15.2s.076.barondavis2.C.TA--300x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WyUm3FPDPJA/Tu6rD-fANpI/AAAAAAAAAL0/ohlmnJU49dc/s200/15.2s.076.barondavis2.C.TA--300x300.jpg" width="140" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UPI</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/7365817/baron-davis-new-york-knicks-agree-deal-sources-say">Mark Stein of ESPN</a> is reporting that point guard Baron Davis has committed to sign with the Knicks.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/sam_amick/status/148487496546783232">Sam Amnick of SI.com</a> added that the deal is for 1 year at the $2.5 million max exception the Knicks were able to offer.<br />
<br />
In the video on ESPN Stein also adds into the conversation that Davis won't actually be out the 8-10 weeks that was reported and could resume activities within a month.<br />
<hr /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cjmndv9b-w0/TuzF_v7hQdI/AAAAAAAAAKs/eF2CDLVR8GM/s1600/nickpugliese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cjmndv9b-w0/TuzF_v7hQdI/AAAAAAAAAKs/eF2CDLVR8GM/s1600/nickpugliese.jpg" /></a></div><b>Nicholas Pugliese</b>: This is a pretty exciting for any Knicks fan.<br />
<br />
Sure Davis is not the same player he was a few years ago, but he is still an above-average point guard and is an immediate upgrade over <b>Toney Douglas</b> and <b>Iman Shumpert</b>.<br />
<br />
This move does a couple of things for the Knicks. For starters it obviously gives them a replacement for <b>Chauncey Billups</b> and gives them some options with the rotation. (1) It gives them the option with Douglas on the bench to spell Landry Fields of some time so he can also rotate to the 3 and give Carmelo a breather, or (2) If they wanted to get real creative with four PGs now on the roster they can use Shumpert/Douglas as the starting shooting guard and leave Landry as a full-time bench player who can swing between the 2/3 since <b>Renaldo Balkman</b> is the only other SF on the team right now.<br />
<br />
I am really liking the way the rotation is shaping up. Glen Grunwald is doing a great job.<br />
<br />
He essentially traded Chauncey and <b>Ronny Turiaf</b> for Davis and <b>Tyson Chandler</b>. Talk about a steal.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-67382511807026822292011-12-18T21:13:00.000-05:002011-12-18T21:14:30.038-05:00Rangers Call Up Stu Bickel InsteadWith<b> Steve Eminger</b>'s injury it was expected the Rangers would call up youngster <b>Tim Erixon</b> who has 1 goal and 11 assists in 14 games for Hartford.<br />
<br />
Instead today they announced they called up 25-year-old<b> Stu Bickel</b> for "emergency basis". Bickel has 1 goal, 3 assists, is a +4, and has 80 penalty minutes in 27 games. Bickel is a big, tough guy listed at 6'4" 218 lbs and has 8 fights on the season.<br />
<br />
It appears this move was made for cap reasons, but with the return of <b>Mike Rupp</b> and now the promotion of Bickel the Rangers have become a much tougher team very fast.<br />
<center><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WBiq4K_pwCg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-62744509430152647222011-12-18T16:32:00.000-05:002011-12-18T17:46:55.233-05:00The Importance of DepthThe New York Rangers have managed to go 18-8-4 for their first 30 games, which is good for 40 points and tied for third best in the Eastern Conference.<br />
<br />
Their 2.23 goals against per game is third best in the NHL and their +20 goal differential is fourth best in the league.<br />
<br />
Considering the combination of <b>Henrik Lundqvist</b> and <b>Marty Biron</b> in net and defensemen <b>Marc Staal</b>, <b>Dan Girardi</b>, <b>Michael Sauer</b>, <b>Ryan McDonagh</b>,<b> Michael Del Zotto</b>, and <b>Steve Eminger</b> on their roster, those stats really shouldn't be surprising. That is arguable the best goalie duo and one of the better defensive corps in the league.<br />
<br />
BUT Staal has not played a game all season, Sauer missed time early in the year because of shoulder injury and is now on the IR with a concussion, and as a result a <b>Jeff Woywitka</b>, a waiver claim, has had to play in 24 games. In other words they've been without their star defenseman, part of the second pairing defense, and have been running out a 7th defenseman routinely and still have one of the best ranked defenses in the league.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c2h8mgf6EQc/Tu5bl3rEy3I/AAAAAAAAALs/dkFsVsuigfc/s1600/glen+sather.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c2h8mgf6EQc/Tu5bl3rEy3I/AAAAAAAAALs/dkFsVsuigfc/s200/glen+sather.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
For this Rangers fans can thank Glen Sather. <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/567294-general-manager-glen-sather-deserves-some-credit">I have always been a huge believer</a> that Sather does not get nearly enough credit and this season has been no exception. I never thought much of that waiver claim on Woywitka, but he has been solid all year filling in, he then brought in <b>Anton Stralman</b> who has looked better by the game, and before the season brought in <b>Tim Erixon</b> who showed a lot of potential in those nine games (more on him later). <br />
<br />
Those mostly minor moves to bolster the defense have given the Rangers enough depth to overcome some serious loses to the blueline. And despite the Rangers needing to consistently change pairings and use the 9th and 10th defensive options on their roster, only Erixon (-2) and Brandon Bell (-1), who played in just one game, are the only two defensemen in the minus category.<br />
<br />
Too add insult to injury, Eminger left last game with an injury and it turns out he has a dislocated shoulder and will be out "a while". Rookie Tim Erixon will be called back up from Hartford to fill in for Eminger, who has been the most improved player this year. Just another tough loss for the team's defense.<br />
<br />
Most teams aren't able to overcome the sheer quantity of injuries the Rangers have had to their defense, let alone the quality of players that have been taken out. While the big thing in sports lately has been to allocate all of your funds into a few star players and fill out the roster with scrubs, this goes to show how important having quality depth is. I don't know if the Rangers will be able to continue to play at such a high level with while dealing with the injury bug, but it is nice to enjoy it while it lasts.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-80747315629713294742011-12-18T12:11:00.000-05:002011-12-18T12:11:39.063-05:00Week 15 Previews: Jets at Eagles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://entrancemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/wpid-New-York-Jets-vs-Philadelphia-Eagles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="80" src="http://entrancemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/wpid-New-York-Jets-vs-Philadelphia-Eagles.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Going into the season I had this game circled on the calendar as a monster showdown between two powerhouse teams in a game that should have serious playoff implications. The game still means something for the Jets who have the Bengals, Titans, and Raiders breathing down their neck, but the Eagles are virtually out of it.<br />
<br />
Vick is in his second game back, McCoy is still playing like McCoy, and Maclin and DeSean Jackson are both healthy so there are still weapons on the Eagles and it should still be an exciting game.<br />
<br />
The Eagles haven't beaten very many good teams this year and I don't expect that to change today. The Jets should have enough defense to hold Vick down, but this Eagles team has so many playmakers it only takes them a couple plays to get back in the game so I expect it to be close. <b>24-17 Jets</b>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8969909692807428466.post-84000918966036794122011-12-18T02:12:00.000-05:002011-12-18T02:15:18.898-05:00Week 15 Previews: Redskins at G-Men<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZINbvp1XYDk/Tmxr8Af-_PI/AAAAAAAABGY/YGphAVO5s_Q/s1600/NY+Giants+vs+Washington.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="83" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZINbvp1XYDk/Tmxr8Af-_PI/AAAAAAAABGY/YGphAVO5s_Q/s320/NY+Giants+vs+Washington.png" width="280" /></a></div>With the Cowboys beating Tampa Bay Saturday night this game becomes even more of a must win for the Giants.<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XyKoTRiBpPg/Tu2ShtscKgI/AAAAAAAAALk/AqU8zMRjCIU/s1600/manning-eli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XyKoTRiBpPg/Tu2ShtscKgI/AAAAAAAAALk/AqU8zMRjCIU/s200/manning-eli.jpg" width="146" /></a><br />
That week 1 loss to the Redskins is one of the killer losses on the Giants record right now and if they can't avenge that loss they might as well kiss their season goodbye.<br />
<br />
On the positive side, it was Fred Davis who burnt them that game and he is now done for the season with his suspension, but on the other hand Sexy Rexy has been playing recently like he did against the Giants in that first game<span class="st">—</span>and that is not good.<br />
<br />
Coming off such an emotional victory, with the roll Eli is on right now, and the defense knowing what is at stake I don't see them losing this one. I expect the Giants to take an early lead and hold on for the game and <b>finish the Redskins off 31-17</b>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0