The 2010-2011 New Jersey Nets have already accomplished something the '09-'10 team could not, that's getting a win before December 4th, not to mention stand over .500. In the season/home opener, the Nets could not ask for more. It was against the Detroit Pistons who have a couple players who can hurt you, but just aren't what they used to be. The Nets played an exciting 4 quarters in front of a solid Prudential Center crowd, where the lead went back and forth, and right when the old Nets would have lost hope, these new Nets immediately hit a 3 and fought right back. Down the stretch a bunch of big plays where made including a go-ahead 3 pointer by newcomer Anthony Morrow which put the Nets up 2 with 20 something seconds left. The Nets would play D, get the ball back, and Farmar would hit 2 clutch free throws. However, the Nets were not out of the woods just yet. Charlie Villanueva would hit a trey for Detroit making it a 1 point game. The Nets would knock down 2 more clutch free throws, get the ball back, but Terrence Williams would then miss both! It's a 101-98 ballgame at this point with 2 second left or so. Detroit got a 3 off before time expired, but it didn't even draw iron, and the Nets would indeed prevail.
Brook Lopez was Brook Lopez in this one scoring 25 and grabbing 9 boards. He's starting to become top-tier player in this league, and by the end of the year he should have some good credentials, including an all-star appearance. Besides Lopez, 3rd overall pick Derrick Favors played a strong role in this game. With just 20 minutes of burn, Favors gripped 10 boards, and added 8 points as well, just a solid rookie debut. He's another guy who will have grown by season's end. Devin Harris played a good leadership role scoring 22 and had 9 dimes to accompany while Jordan Farmar, Harris' backup, had 10 big, high energy points off the bench. Terrence Williams off the bench played with a spark doing a little scoring, rebounding, and assisting. Anthony Morrow sprinkled in 13 points by hitting a couple big 3s, including the game-winner, while guys like Outlaw, Humphries, and Damion James, played solid defense, got some boards, made some plays.
The differences between this Nets team and last year's are so vast that you can't even bring up last year after last night. A new arena, the beautiful Prudential Center, a new owner, Mikhail Prokarov, the Russian billionaire who will do whatever it takes to build a winner. A new General Manager, Billy King, who has now had experience as a GM, and he's already made a couple of decent moves. Plus the Nets basically have a new roster. Out with the old, in with the new. Even with all that, Avery Johnson is the biggest reason why the Nets can be successful this year. He's a guy who has played in the league before and is a student of the game. From the way he played, you could just tell he's going to be a good coach. High basketball IQ, high octane. He brought a Dallas Mavericks team (with Devin Harris) to an NBA Finals, something the Mavs have had trouble with, with other coaches. With the Nets he's gotten them to be an aggresive team on defense, the boards, and even scoring. It might be early yet, but Avery has the heart, there is no question, and it looks like he's injected that into this young, new, New Jersey roster.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Cheers
I've been dreading the day that I actually get on here and talk about elimination, but I've had my couple days to bum around, and with Brian Cashman already dismissing pitching coach Dave Eiland, (just realized that we had a "Long-Eiland" pitching coach/hitting coach tandem) it's already time to look ahead. But before we do that, let's look at what just happened.
When you're as big of a fan as I am, you start to classify good nights with how the Yankees faired as well, and already many memories come to mind when I think of it like that. A few games stand out in my mind. Specifically, Yanks/Dodgers, Sunday night, June 27th, an 8-6 win, and an even better weekend for the kid. Yanks rallied back from a 6-2 deficit in the 9th to tie things up after unlikely heroes such as Chad Huffman and Colin Curtis knocked in big runs. Huffman drove in 2 runs and Curtis tied the game with an rbi ground out off of Jonathan Broxton. While this is all going on, I'm at a party that I was just about to leave, so I'm standing, but as I'm standing the hits and runs start to tally up, so I'm there having people bring me beers as I stand in the same spot for the better of the Yanks, and sure enough, NY would tack on 2 more in the top of the 10th to win the game 8-6. Great win, great night, fantastic weekend.
May 17th was the first game of a three game set against those Dread Sox where the Yanks won 11-9. I remember being drunk on a Monday night for some reason while watching Jonathan Papelbon blow a 2 run save, giving up a 2 run shot to Alex Rodriguez to tie it, and another 2 run homer that wrapped around the foul pole to Marcus Thames, the walk-off with 2 outs. There are few things I'd rather see happen, but we won't get into all that.
September 8th, 14th, and 17th are all pretty magical dates in my eyes. On September the 8th, the Yanks had nothing going offensively all day, until Nick Swisher hit a walkoff 2 run homer off of Koji Uehara to win the game 3-2 against a tough Buck Showalter managed Baltimore Oriole team, right as I parked in front of my house after a long day. I sprinted to my backyard with my arms raised in triumph where my dad was watching Swisher take the pie in the face. It would stand as a big win because the Yanks played a very flat September, and needed some wins to stay in good playoff standing. The 14th was that back and forth game where Ivan Nova gave up 6 runs in the 5th inning to erase a 6-0 lead. Logan would come on to give up a 7th run, but the Yanks showed resiliance to tie it right back up in the next half inning. Jorge Posada would come through with a pitch-hit homerun to make it 8-7 in the top half of the 10th, followed by Greg Golson ending the game by making a pin-point throw to get Carl Crawford for the final out at third base. It was a big win on the road in the middle of a pennant race that put the Yanks back into first place. The 17th was awesome because it was the same night as a magical softball win for T&A, as well as in Baltimore for the Yanks. Down to his final strike with the Yanks down 3-1 in the bottom of the 9th, Alex Rodriguez hit a crushing 3-run-homerun off of Koji Uehara put the Yanks up 1, and Rivera would come in to shut it down. I actually traveled to Baltimore the next morning to see an 11-3 win during a night where a bottle of Captain Morgan was finished within 4 minutes between 3 people, faulty tickets may have been purchased, our section having a million sexy girls and most happened to be Yankee fans, but to top it all off, CC won his 20th for the first time in his career.
This is a time where all those Yankee haters are out in full force saying the knew the Yanks just didn't have the pitching, didn't have clutch hitters, this guy is too old, so is that guy, blah, effing, blah. But it's also a time to celebrate another fun season, another time period during a lifespan. Many things happen throughout the course of a baseball season; good, bad, baseball-related, not even baseball related. I use baseball as a tool to reflect on certain things that happen. It makes every day, every game count, and that's the beauty of it for me. Yeah, we didn't get 28. We didn't get our first back to back championship since 2000. We aren't necessarily the dynasty we thought we were. Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Jorge Posada are all acting their age finally. Mark Teixeira had another bad start that he never really recovered from, then destructed by injuries that eventually ended his season a couple days prematurely. However there are a lot of good things that we can look at; the emergence of Robinson Cano, the importance of Brett Gardner, a big-time pick-up for the bullpen in Kerry Wood, Mariano Rivera posted a 1.80 ERA at 40, and the prospects coming forth such as Ivan Nova, Jesus Montero, Brandon Laird, and Austin Romine. I'll be here all offseason and I'll disect any big news that happens so stick with me! I'll bring you Nets and Giants flavor as well until we get back to pitchers and catchers in late February, which feels like a long time from now.
When you're as big of a fan as I am, you start to classify good nights with how the Yankees faired as well, and already many memories come to mind when I think of it like that. A few games stand out in my mind. Specifically, Yanks/Dodgers, Sunday night, June 27th, an 8-6 win, and an even better weekend for the kid. Yanks rallied back from a 6-2 deficit in the 9th to tie things up after unlikely heroes such as Chad Huffman and Colin Curtis knocked in big runs. Huffman drove in 2 runs and Curtis tied the game with an rbi ground out off of Jonathan Broxton. While this is all going on, I'm at a party that I was just about to leave, so I'm standing, but as I'm standing the hits and runs start to tally up, so I'm there having people bring me beers as I stand in the same spot for the better of the Yanks, and sure enough, NY would tack on 2 more in the top of the 10th to win the game 8-6. Great win, great night, fantastic weekend.
May 17th was the first game of a three game set against those Dread Sox where the Yanks won 11-9. I remember being drunk on a Monday night for some reason while watching Jonathan Papelbon blow a 2 run save, giving up a 2 run shot to Alex Rodriguez to tie it, and another 2 run homer that wrapped around the foul pole to Marcus Thames, the walk-off with 2 outs. There are few things I'd rather see happen, but we won't get into all that.
September 8th, 14th, and 17th are all pretty magical dates in my eyes. On September the 8th, the Yanks had nothing going offensively all day, until Nick Swisher hit a walkoff 2 run homer off of Koji Uehara to win the game 3-2 against a tough Buck Showalter managed Baltimore Oriole team, right as I parked in front of my house after a long day. I sprinted to my backyard with my arms raised in triumph where my dad was watching Swisher take the pie in the face. It would stand as a big win because the Yanks played a very flat September, and needed some wins to stay in good playoff standing. The 14th was that back and forth game where Ivan Nova gave up 6 runs in the 5th inning to erase a 6-0 lead. Logan would come on to give up a 7th run, but the Yanks showed resiliance to tie it right back up in the next half inning. Jorge Posada would come through with a pitch-hit homerun to make it 8-7 in the top half of the 10th, followed by Greg Golson ending the game by making a pin-point throw to get Carl Crawford for the final out at third base. It was a big win on the road in the middle of a pennant race that put the Yanks back into first place. The 17th was awesome because it was the same night as a magical softball win for T&A, as well as in Baltimore for the Yanks. Down to his final strike with the Yanks down 3-1 in the bottom of the 9th, Alex Rodriguez hit a crushing 3-run-homerun off of Koji Uehara put the Yanks up 1, and Rivera would come in to shut it down. I actually traveled to Baltimore the next morning to see an 11-3 win during a night where a bottle of Captain Morgan was finished within 4 minutes between 3 people, faulty tickets may have been purchased, our section having a million sexy girls and most happened to be Yankee fans, but to top it all off, CC won his 20th for the first time in his career.
This is a time where all those Yankee haters are out in full force saying the knew the Yanks just didn't have the pitching, didn't have clutch hitters, this guy is too old, so is that guy, blah, effing, blah. But it's also a time to celebrate another fun season, another time period during a lifespan. Many things happen throughout the course of a baseball season; good, bad, baseball-related, not even baseball related. I use baseball as a tool to reflect on certain things that happen. It makes every day, every game count, and that's the beauty of it for me. Yeah, we didn't get 28. We didn't get our first back to back championship since 2000. We aren't necessarily the dynasty we thought we were. Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Jorge Posada are all acting their age finally. Mark Teixeira had another bad start that he never really recovered from, then destructed by injuries that eventually ended his season a couple days prematurely. However there are a lot of good things that we can look at; the emergence of Robinson Cano, the importance of Brett Gardner, a big-time pick-up for the bullpen in Kerry Wood, Mariano Rivera posted a 1.80 ERA at 40, and the prospects coming forth such as Ivan Nova, Jesus Montero, Brandon Laird, and Austin Romine. I'll be here all offseason and I'll disect any big news that happens so stick with me! I'll bring you Nets and Giants flavor as well until we get back to pitchers and catchers in late February, which feels like a long time from now.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Yanks All Set for Game 6
Alright, let's pump our fanbase full of confidence in this one. The Yanks face yet another elimination ballgame, their back's are against the wall, it's win or go home for a loooong winter. After a couple shalackings at home, the Yanks pulled out a quality win in game 5 behind their ace, and showed Texas that it isn't going to be easy. This team has a "never say die" attitude, but they will be put to the full test by playing on the road for possibly 2 games. How many times this year have the Yanks looked awful for a mini-stretch, and then just winning 7 in a row all of a sudden? Feels like they did that alot. This a very streaky bunch, but it all starts with Phil Phranchise on the mound.
How the Yanks win tonight: Yanks would like to see at least 6 innings from Hughes, keeping Texas under 4 runs preferably. Yankee bats need to do what they did in game 5; get some runners on any way they can, and then get those timely hits, and maybe steal some bases? Colby Lewis will take the mound for Texas tonight. It's Colby Lewis. The Yankees failed to get anything going in game 2, however this time they will be looking for not only revenge, but to keep their playoff lives in tact. The Yankee lineup without Teixeira honestly has some spice. What I mean by that, is no longer can guys rely on the supposed big run producer to get everything done, (even though Tex really hadn't) but they themselves now know they have slack to pick up. Also without Tex, Robby "BOOM" Cano slides into the 3 hole. I've wondered all year why Cano has not been in that spot because he not only hits for power, (especially in these playoffs my god!) he's a .300 hitter, something no other Yankees have next to their name. I love him, especially during last year's playoffs, but ALEX RODRIGUEZ needs to get it together. If he can swing it, the Yanks are so scary that you may need to cover a child's eyes, and maybe even give him the earmuffs. Bottom line is, Pay-Rod is an essential piece to the New York lineup. Not only is he capable of the world, he's hitting right in the thickness of the order. With Cano doing his thing in the third spot, A-Rod doing his thing, Swisher maybe coming back to life, and a couple of other guys putting together good at-bats and hits, the Yanks are fine. Remember the Rangers have only won one playoff game at home in franchise history. They aren't as confident as they appear to be, and after game 1, they still won't feel safe. This is about taking the crowd right out of the game and just straight stun them by stunting on them. Feel me? I have this playoff beard going that I've been told to shave many times, but no can do. I do not plan out shaving anytime soon either, it's cold outside, and I'm getting sick. Win tonight, Cliff Lee or not, the Rangers will be on the ropes after knowing they could have closed it down much earlier. Remember in a game 7, anything can happen..especially when you have Yankee magic.
How the Yanks win tonight: Yanks would like to see at least 6 innings from Hughes, keeping Texas under 4 runs preferably. Yankee bats need to do what they did in game 5; get some runners on any way they can, and then get those timely hits, and maybe steal some bases? Colby Lewis will take the mound for Texas tonight. It's Colby Lewis. The Yankees failed to get anything going in game 2, however this time they will be looking for not only revenge, but to keep their playoff lives in tact. The Yankee lineup without Teixeira honestly has some spice. What I mean by that, is no longer can guys rely on the supposed big run producer to get everything done, (even though Tex really hadn't) but they themselves now know they have slack to pick up. Also without Tex, Robby "BOOM" Cano slides into the 3 hole. I've wondered all year why Cano has not been in that spot because he not only hits for power, (especially in these playoffs my god!) he's a .300 hitter, something no other Yankees have next to their name. I love him, especially during last year's playoffs, but ALEX RODRIGUEZ needs to get it together. If he can swing it, the Yanks are so scary that you may need to cover a child's eyes, and maybe even give him the earmuffs. Bottom line is, Pay-Rod is an essential piece to the New York lineup. Not only is he capable of the world, he's hitting right in the thickness of the order. With Cano doing his thing in the third spot, A-Rod doing his thing, Swisher maybe coming back to life, and a couple of other guys putting together good at-bats and hits, the Yanks are fine. Remember the Rangers have only won one playoff game at home in franchise history. They aren't as confident as they appear to be, and after game 1, they still won't feel safe. This is about taking the crowd right out of the game and just straight stun them by stunting on them. Feel me? I have this playoff beard going that I've been told to shave many times, but no can do. I do not plan out shaving anytime soon either, it's cold outside, and I'm getting sick. Win tonight, Cliff Lee or not, the Rangers will be on the ropes after knowing they could have closed it down much earlier. Remember in a game 7, anything can happen..especially when you have Yankee magic.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Yanks Face Elimination in Game 5
Deep Breath...If I were to get on the lap top last night and type something up I would have probably said this is my last blog, this makes me sick, and I've made bad calls. My Yankee confidence has completely got in the way of the clear picture. Texas has outplayed the Yankees all series long, and backing one beating by another last night. The Yanks took a 10-3 loss last night after A.J. Burnett nearly missed qualifying for win. The Yanks had a 3-2 lead, and weird things just started happening. The minute Lance Berkman's homerun in the second inning was reversed into just a long strike, you just got a bad feeling that things weren't going to go the Yanks' way.
The Yankees failed in a bottom of the 4th rally, the same rally in which Mark Teixeira pulled his hamstring, and is now out for the entire postseason. After the Yanks put a goose egg up in an inning where they really could have pulled away, and a superstar injury, you could just see it in their faces that they were beaten, yet they still had a 3-2 lead. In the top of the 5th, A.J. Burnett had 2 outs, and a runner on second. After a managers' choice to intentional walk a David Murphy who has stung the Yanks in the past, Bengie Molina homered on the first pitch he saw from Burnett. This put the Rangers up 5-3, and they would never look back.
Now during the intentional walk of Murphy, A.J. Burnett almost threw a pitch away, and that right there should have been the indicator. This year, none of us had ever seen A.J. recover after looking shaky, so why would this situation be any different? It seems to me like Girardi wanted Burnett to qualify for a win, and prove he made the right move. Besides the bad managerial decisions, the Yankees just simply aren't hitting, and the Rangers are making all the plays. Whether it's in the field or at the dish, the Rangers are doing it when it counts. Normally, it is the Yankees who catch all of these breaks, and get lucky. This is unfamiliar territory for the Yankee team being down 3-1 in the ALCS. Can they flip the switch?
CC Sabathia faces off against C.J. Wilson in possibly the final game at Yankee Stadium this year, where fans decide to threaten A-Rod, bobble foul balls, and leave early. Now this is a game where you must believe CC is going to go out there and do what he does best, giving the team a chance to win. Still, on the other side, Wilson isn't a bad pitcher. You will know right away what kind of swag, if any, the Yanks have. Game starts in 25 minutes. Let's believe in this thing, one game at a time, and don't even think about Cliff Lee waiting at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully my next article will be talking about how tired the Yanks got from scoring 100 runs today.
The Yankees failed in a bottom of the 4th rally, the same rally in which Mark Teixeira pulled his hamstring, and is now out for the entire postseason. After the Yanks put a goose egg up in an inning where they really could have pulled away, and a superstar injury, you could just see it in their faces that they were beaten, yet they still had a 3-2 lead. In the top of the 5th, A.J. Burnett had 2 outs, and a runner on second. After a managers' choice to intentional walk a David Murphy who has stung the Yanks in the past, Bengie Molina homered on the first pitch he saw from Burnett. This put the Rangers up 5-3, and they would never look back.
Now during the intentional walk of Murphy, A.J. Burnett almost threw a pitch away, and that right there should have been the indicator. This year, none of us had ever seen A.J. recover after looking shaky, so why would this situation be any different? It seems to me like Girardi wanted Burnett to qualify for a win, and prove he made the right move. Besides the bad managerial decisions, the Yankees just simply aren't hitting, and the Rangers are making all the plays. Whether it's in the field or at the dish, the Rangers are doing it when it counts. Normally, it is the Yankees who catch all of these breaks, and get lucky. This is unfamiliar territory for the Yankee team being down 3-1 in the ALCS. Can they flip the switch?
CC Sabathia faces off against C.J. Wilson in possibly the final game at Yankee Stadium this year, where fans decide to threaten A-Rod, bobble foul balls, and leave early. Now this is a game where you must believe CC is going to go out there and do what he does best, giving the team a chance to win. Still, on the other side, Wilson isn't a bad pitcher. You will know right away what kind of swag, if any, the Yanks have. Game starts in 25 minutes. Let's believe in this thing, one game at a time, and don't even think about Cliff Lee waiting at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully my next article will be talking about how tired the Yanks got from scoring 100 runs today.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Yanks Face 2-1 Deficit
It's safe to say the predicition I made was a bad one, (4-2 Yanks, reality 8-0 Rangers) and I let the Yankee fan in me take over a little too much. It's also safe to say Cliff Lee is the most dominant pitcher baseball has seen since Pedro Martinez. There are plenty of good pitchers out there, however Cliff Lee can dominant a game in a different way. You could tell just from the swings New York took, that they were so off balance. Nobody knew how to approach him. If you take the patient approach, he's already 0-2 on you. If you take the aggressive mindset, all you're doing is lowering his pitch count. Just to think if this series does go 7 games, this team will have to face him on the road. Yanks better win 3 straight.
It was a game were the Yankees trailed before some people even got a chance to flip the game on. Top 1st, Josh Hamilton, the natural, took a pretty good curveball of the end of his bat from Pettitte out of the yard after Michael Young wore him out after finally getting a 3-2 single. It was a shame for Pettitte, because those would be the only 2 runs he would surrender, and you knew he was going to bear down. But you also knew it was going to be hard to get runs. The Yankees didn't have a baserunner until the 5th inning last night, struck out 13 times against Lee, and the one inning they had a shot with a runner on second, (Gardner) Jeter fans on a high fastball. Swisher then would move the runner over to third but with now 2 away, and Tex (0-11 in the series) fails to come through, again. The Yankees blew their chance at putting a run on the board which would have made it a fathomable game to win. Their only chance last night was getting to the Texas bullpen prematurely, or at least seeing Neftali Feliz in the 9th inning down just 2, instead of 8. They might have had a shot, which is where the question of leaving Wood in for a second inning arises. However Logan and Robertson normally do their job in that situation, so you can't hate Girardi for that.
Bottom line the New York Yankees need to hit the baseball. Tonight they see Tommy Hunter who is one of those regular season pitchers who the Yanks normally tattoo for 8 or 9 runs. A.J. Burnett is scheduled to start for the Yanks, yet another reason to hit the ball, because Texas will most likely hit too. Tonight I'm seeing more of an 8-6 type of ballgame, with defense and bullpen being the x factors. As a baseball fan, not even a Yankee fan, I do see the Yanks evening the series at 2 games a piece, and quieting all the critics. With a Yankee win, it becomes a best of 3 series, with the first game being the first matchup, CC Sabathia, and C.J. Wilson. Then, let the fun begin, again.
It was a game were the Yankees trailed before some people even got a chance to flip the game on. Top 1st, Josh Hamilton, the natural, took a pretty good curveball of the end of his bat from Pettitte out of the yard after Michael Young wore him out after finally getting a 3-2 single. It was a shame for Pettitte, because those would be the only 2 runs he would surrender, and you knew he was going to bear down. But you also knew it was going to be hard to get runs. The Yankees didn't have a baserunner until the 5th inning last night, struck out 13 times against Lee, and the one inning they had a shot with a runner on second, (Gardner) Jeter fans on a high fastball. Swisher then would move the runner over to third but with now 2 away, and Tex (0-11 in the series) fails to come through, again. The Yankees blew their chance at putting a run on the board which would have made it a fathomable game to win. Their only chance last night was getting to the Texas bullpen prematurely, or at least seeing Neftali Feliz in the 9th inning down just 2, instead of 8. They might have had a shot, which is where the question of leaving Wood in for a second inning arises. However Logan and Robertson normally do their job in that situation, so you can't hate Girardi for that.
Bottom line the New York Yankees need to hit the baseball. Tonight they see Tommy Hunter who is one of those regular season pitchers who the Yanks normally tattoo for 8 or 9 runs. A.J. Burnett is scheduled to start for the Yanks, yet another reason to hit the ball, because Texas will most likely hit too. Tonight I'm seeing more of an 8-6 type of ballgame, with defense and bullpen being the x factors. As a baseball fan, not even a Yankee fan, I do see the Yanks evening the series at 2 games a piece, and quieting all the critics. With a Yankee win, it becomes a best of 3 series, with the first game being the first matchup, CC Sabathia, and C.J. Wilson. Then, let the fun begin, again.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Giants Good Enough
Yesterday, the New York Football Giants took on the Detroit Lions at New Meadowlands Stadium. The Detroit Lions proved to be a worthy opponent, however they lost their 24th straight on the road, and the Giants were proud to be apart of that streak. The Giants won this game 28-20, by running the football very well, making good throws when they needed to, not turning the ball over, and playing clutch defense. They got timely turnovers. However, it seemed as though Detroit came to New Jersey with a much better gameplan than the last two teams who faced the G-Men did. They keyed in on the Giants' stud wideout Hakeem Nicks, and kind of just took him out of the game. This made the Giants go to Mario Manningham and Steve Smith, but to the Lions' credit, they made other people try and beat them. On the offensive end for Detroit, they threw a lot of underneath passes, being they knew the Giants have a good pash rush, and run defense. To Detroits credit, with their second string quarterback getting hurt early in this game, Drew Stanton played his heart out and made some plays for Detroit.
Detroit's offense converted on many third down attempts and made the Giants defense stay on the field, longer then they would've in previous weeks. This simply kept them in the ballgame. Although the Giants seemed like they had the game in the bag a number of teams, the Lions stayed resiliant as they have in games this season, and kept Giants fans from leaving the stadium prematurely. The Lions may be 1-5, however they are a threat to any team out there, and if you don't play solid football the day you play Detroit, they will beat you. As a Giants fan, I am not disheartened by an 8 point when with a 9 point spread, I'm proud they got the job at hand done. The Giants are tied with the Philadelphia Eagles at 4-2 and at the head of the NFC East. Next week Big Blue will face the poor Cowboys. Those 1-4 Cowboys will be looking for a way to get their season back on track, it will be the Giants' job to go into big D and step on their necks.
Detroit's offense converted on many third down attempts and made the Giants defense stay on the field, longer then they would've in previous weeks. This simply kept them in the ballgame. Although the Giants seemed like they had the game in the bag a number of teams, the Lions stayed resiliant as they have in games this season, and kept Giants fans from leaving the stadium prematurely. The Lions may be 1-5, however they are a threat to any team out there, and if you don't play solid football the day you play Detroit, they will beat you. As a Giants fan, I am not disheartened by an 8 point when with a 9 point spread, I'm proud they got the job at hand done. The Giants are tied with the Philadelphia Eagles at 4-2 and at the head of the NFC East. Next week Big Blue will face the poor Cowboys. Those 1-4 Cowboys will be looking for a way to get their season back on track, it will be the Giants' job to go into big D and step on their necks.
Win One for Freddy
After the first two games have come and gone, the Yanks and Rangers travel back to New York where the next three games will be played. If the Yanks defend their homefield, they could be punching their tickets to their second World Series in 2 years. However they will have to get past the old rival Cliff Lee tonight. New York will have some things to honor while they play out the rest of their playoff games. Classic superfan, Freddy "Sez" Schuman died at 85 yesterday of a heart attack. Freddy was a beloved war veteran who brought homeade signs with cute phrases about the Yanks, and the fans would bang on his shamrock frying pan for good luck. I've grown up banging on that frying pan, and the last time I got to hit some metal, was after game 6 of last year's World Series, the clincher. Freddy will be missed greatly from the fan prospective, and in a year where Bob Sheppard, George Steinbrenner, and Ralph Houk died, this just happens to be another great person in the Yankee culture to pass away.
The first two games were wild, the first one being much more so than the second. The number one thing game one showed me was that a Yankee rally can start at any point in the lineup, and in any inning. Why are the Yankees the best offensive team? Balance. When you got a thick middle of the order like they do, with guys like Posada, Granderson, and Gardner finishing it off, you're in good shape. Gardner turns the lineup over like a mofo, and in game one, he did just that. Sliding head first into first base on a tough chopper that he beat out and starting the 5-run outburst that would change the outcome of game one, making it a 6-5 victory.
Game two was brutal in many aspects, basically, game one without a comeback. The Yanks still put some men on, and Robbie struck some good swings on pitches, and the Rangers were shaking and sweating, however the Yanks lost 7-2. That's how you know the Rangers are still shook in some light. Although the Yanks missed a chance to go up 2-0 and put this Texas team on the ropes with Colby Lewis going for them, and Phil Hughes going for NY, they still have the homefield advantage for the rest of the series, and it just seemed like the Rangers did everything they possibly could to win that game, and they still felt like they weren't safe.
Now tonight will be the battle of a couple left-handed pitchers with pretty marquee names. Andy Pettitte for the Yanks and of course Uncle Cliff Lee for the Rangers. The Yanks have not had a great history against Cliff Lee, and Lee has had a great postseason career. At the same time, Pettitte is virtually unbeatable at home and in the playoffs, so something has to give here. Most people may think Pettitte, but he is a solid as a rock in this setting, this is what everybody will remember him doing when it is all said and done, he wins games just like these. Cliff Lee is due for a subpar outing, he is a human being right? First ALCS home game, Mr. Pettite on the hill, Lee due for a bad outing, and the Yanks won't lose two in a row. Yanks win tonight beyond everyones love for Cliff Lee, 4-2.
The first two games were wild, the first one being much more so than the second. The number one thing game one showed me was that a Yankee rally can start at any point in the lineup, and in any inning. Why are the Yankees the best offensive team? Balance. When you got a thick middle of the order like they do, with guys like Posada, Granderson, and Gardner finishing it off, you're in good shape. Gardner turns the lineup over like a mofo, and in game one, he did just that. Sliding head first into first base on a tough chopper that he beat out and starting the 5-run outburst that would change the outcome of game one, making it a 6-5 victory.
Game two was brutal in many aspects, basically, game one without a comeback. The Yanks still put some men on, and Robbie struck some good swings on pitches, and the Rangers were shaking and sweating, however the Yanks lost 7-2. That's how you know the Rangers are still shook in some light. Although the Yanks missed a chance to go up 2-0 and put this Texas team on the ropes with Colby Lewis going for them, and Phil Hughes going for NY, they still have the homefield advantage for the rest of the series, and it just seemed like the Rangers did everything they possibly could to win that game, and they still felt like they weren't safe.
Now tonight will be the battle of a couple left-handed pitchers with pretty marquee names. Andy Pettitte for the Yanks and of course Uncle Cliff Lee for the Rangers. The Yanks have not had a great history against Cliff Lee, and Lee has had a great postseason career. At the same time, Pettitte is virtually unbeatable at home and in the playoffs, so something has to give here. Most people may think Pettitte, but he is a solid as a rock in this setting, this is what everybody will remember him doing when it is all said and done, he wins games just like these. Cliff Lee is due for a subpar outing, he is a human being right? First ALCS home game, Mr. Pettite on the hill, Lee due for a bad outing, and the Yanks won't lose two in a row. Yanks win tonight beyond everyones love for Cliff Lee, 4-2.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Texas It Is; CC vs C.J. First
During the season every time the Yanks faced off against Texas, I felt a playoff matchup coming in the future. The last time the Yankees went to Texas it was ugly, and that series set the tone for the entire month of September. In that series, the Yanks were swept away by the Rangers losing two games in walk-off fashion, Rivera losing one, and Cliff Lee dominating the last game of that series. Now those games really did have playoff-type atmosphere, but this is a different month, and a different season. The Yankees showed they knew the difference against Minnesota.
The big thing people look into in any playoff series is pitching. This series is obviously no different, but even more important. Both of these offenses can rely on a 3-run homer, but they can also get stolen bases, and play small ball equally good. The Yanks and Texas both won games in "small ball" fashion the the first round. That's what makes this such a good matchup. Because the Rangers had to throw Cliff Lee in game 5 to survive the first round, he will not be able to pitch game 1 or game 2, (both in Texas) advantage Yankees.
The Yanks will be on the road for the first two ballgames of the series, and the matchups will be CC Sabathia for the Yanks, squaring off against C.J. Wilson. Then it becomes either Andy Pettitte versus Colby Lewis, or Phil Hughes versus Colby Lewis. It will be interesting to see which way they go, because Pettitte and Hughes both pitch well on the road, and both love the hot weather in Texas. If it were up to me, I would keep it just how they had it last series, Pettitte then Hughes, it did work out. (Game 3 the Yanks face Cliff Lee.) Now it becomes either A.J. Burnett, that's right A.J. Bumett, or Sabathia in game 4 on short rest. This all depends on how the series has gone by that point. Tommy Hunter is the Rangers fourth starter, and we're all licking our chops for him. If it is CC on short rest in game 4, A.J. moves to the 5th game, and in that case, hopefully the Yanks sweep, however I predict Yanks in 6. Here are the possible pitching matchups laid out as nice and neat as possible for ya. Another "pre-series" article will be written before the start of the series.
Game 1
Sabathia vs. Wilson (in Texas)
Game 2
Pettitte/Hughes vs. Lewis (in Texas)
Game 3
Hughes/Pettitte vs. Lee (in New York)
Game 4
*Sabathia/Burnett vs. Hunter (in New York)
Game 5
Burnett/Sabathia vs. Wilson (in New York)
Game 6
Pettitte/Hughes vs. Lewis (in Texas)
Game 7
Hughes/Pettitte/*Sabathia vs. Lee (in Texas)
Bold=my preferred method
*=short rest
This all depends on if they decide to throw Sabathia on short rest. If CC goes to work on short rest in the 4th game, he'll be available to do it again in game 7. However they likely won't pitch Sabathia three times in this series. Personally, I don't have a problem with the veteran Andy Pettitte pitching a game 7 if he needs to. The Yankees clearly have a deeper pitching staff than the Rangers, from judging the possible matchups, it's easy to tell. While the Yankees really only have one question mark, (A.J. Burnett, maybe its a double ??) Texas has at least two (Lewis and Hunter.)
The Yankees need to win this series before the 7th game so they can limit the times they see Texas', and maybe baseball's best postseason pitcher, Cliff Lee. Other than Uncle Cliff, their rotation doesn't scare me too much. Who's ready?
The big thing people look into in any playoff series is pitching. This series is obviously no different, but even more important. Both of these offenses can rely on a 3-run homer, but they can also get stolen bases, and play small ball equally good. The Yanks and Texas both won games in "small ball" fashion the the first round. That's what makes this such a good matchup. Because the Rangers had to throw Cliff Lee in game 5 to survive the first round, he will not be able to pitch game 1 or game 2, (both in Texas) advantage Yankees.
The Yanks will be on the road for the first two ballgames of the series, and the matchups will be CC Sabathia for the Yanks, squaring off against C.J. Wilson. Then it becomes either Andy Pettitte versus Colby Lewis, or Phil Hughes versus Colby Lewis. It will be interesting to see which way they go, because Pettitte and Hughes both pitch well on the road, and both love the hot weather in Texas. If it were up to me, I would keep it just how they had it last series, Pettitte then Hughes, it did work out. (Game 3 the Yanks face Cliff Lee.) Now it becomes either A.J. Burnett, that's right A.J. Bumett, or Sabathia in game 4 on short rest. This all depends on how the series has gone by that point. Tommy Hunter is the Rangers fourth starter, and we're all licking our chops for him. If it is CC on short rest in game 4, A.J. moves to the 5th game, and in that case, hopefully the Yanks sweep, however I predict Yanks in 6. Here are the possible pitching matchups laid out as nice and neat as possible for ya. Another "pre-series" article will be written before the start of the series.
Game 1
Sabathia vs. Wilson (in Texas)
Game 2
Pettitte/Hughes vs. Lewis (in Texas)
Game 3
Hughes/Pettitte vs. Lee (in New York)
Game 4
*Sabathia/Burnett vs. Hunter (in New York)
Game 5
Burnett/Sabathia vs. Wilson (in New York)
Game 6
Pettitte/Hughes vs. Lewis (in Texas)
Game 7
Hughes/Pettitte/*Sabathia vs. Lee (in Texas)
Bold=my preferred method
*=short rest
This all depends on if they decide to throw Sabathia on short rest. If CC goes to work on short rest in the 4th game, he'll be available to do it again in game 7. However they likely won't pitch Sabathia three times in this series. Personally, I don't have a problem with the veteran Andy Pettitte pitching a game 7 if he needs to. The Yankees clearly have a deeper pitching staff than the Rangers, from judging the possible matchups, it's easy to tell. While the Yankees really only have one question mark, (A.J. Burnett, maybe its a double ??) Texas has at least two (Lewis and Hunter.)
The Yankees need to win this series before the 7th game so they can limit the times they see Texas', and maybe baseball's best postseason pitcher, Cliff Lee. Other than Uncle Cliff, their rotation doesn't scare me too much. Who's ready?
Monday, October 11, 2010
Giants Have Number One Defense in the NFL
5 games into the NFL season the Giants have already been through a lot. From an embarrassing Sunday night loss to Eli's brother, to a loss to the Titans that included self inflicted wounds, all the way to Tiki Barber saying Tom Coughlin lost the team and there aren't any leaders. So the Giants are 0-5 right? Oh no, those are the 49ers. The Giants are 3-2 and tied for 1st place in the NFC East with the Redskins (of course Green Bay couldn't help us out and just beat the Skins) and Eagles. However the Giants have started to really roll after a 17-3 destruction of Bears offensive linemen and quarterbacks, and a 34-10 manhandling of the Houston Texans who people were ready to proclaim AFC South champs.
Most people, like myself, figured the Giants would put up a dud performance after making everyone believers after the Chicago wooping. However the Giants backed up one great performance by another one, and this time on the road against in my opinion, a better team. Hakim Nicks had one of those superstar games catching 12 balls for over 100 yards (second straight week) and a couple of touchdowns. The defense had sacks, turnovers, solid tackles, and the only touchdown they gave up was set up by an Eli Manning interception. Now the Giants have the best defense in the NFL when its comes to total yards given up per game as well as passing yards given up per game. (6th in rushing.) If ya'll don't trust me, here you are. http://www.nfl.com/stats/team
The Giants have Detroit at home next week, who are coming off of a 44-6 victory over the Rams. This would be the type of game the old Giants could lose, after two convincing wins and then putting up a clunker against a bad team. However I trust the Giants that they won't lose the the Detroit Lions who haven't won a road game in years. They have a good offense, but the way the Giants defense has been playing, it shouldn't be a problem.
Most people, like myself, figured the Giants would put up a dud performance after making everyone believers after the Chicago wooping. However the Giants backed up one great performance by another one, and this time on the road against in my opinion, a better team. Hakim Nicks had one of those superstar games catching 12 balls for over 100 yards (second straight week) and a couple of touchdowns. The defense had sacks, turnovers, solid tackles, and the only touchdown they gave up was set up by an Eli Manning interception. Now the Giants have the best defense in the NFL when its comes to total yards given up per game as well as passing yards given up per game. (6th in rushing.) If ya'll don't trust me, here you are. http://www.nfl.com/stats/team
The Giants have Detroit at home next week, who are coming off of a 44-6 victory over the Rams. This would be the type of game the old Giants could lose, after two convincing wins and then putting up a clunker against a bad team. However I trust the Giants that they won't lose the the Detroit Lions who haven't won a road game in years. They have a good offense, but the way the Giants defense has been playing, it shouldn't be a problem.
Yanks Go In....To the ALCS
Of the 58 pitches Brian Duensing threw Saturday night, the Yankees swung and missed at NONE of them. We can all marvel and then realize that it was just the TWINS, but the Yanks are a force. Behind Sabathia, Pettitte, and Hughes, they are so hard to beat. Each start got even progressively better than the other. Sabthia gave up 4, Andy gave up 2, while Hughes threw 99 pitches over 7 shut out innings. It is good to see the Yanks are getting some length from their starters, so they can shorten the game with a solid bullpen.
Yanks now can watch football, and other playoff baseball until the start of the ALCS which is Friday. Tomorrow night they will find out if they are going to be facing Texas or Tampa. Because this series went 5 games, (I called it going back to Tampa after 2-0) Cliff Lee or David Price will not start game 1 on short rest, so right there its advatage Yankees. I'll have more for ya ALCS-wise once we find out who we are playing.
Yanks now can watch football, and other playoff baseball until the start of the ALCS which is Friday. Tomorrow night they will find out if they are going to be facing Texas or Tampa. Because this series went 5 games, (I called it going back to Tampa after 2-0) Cliff Lee or David Price will not start game 1 on short rest, so right there its advatage Yankees. I'll have more for ya ALCS-wise once we find out who we are playing.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Yanks Beat Twins Twice, Back to NY up 2-0
If there's one thing we've all learned from the first 2 games, the Yankees are dangerous. After a lame September, (under .500) people were trippin' thinking the Yanks just did not have it this year like they did last year. Whether its because its the Minnesota Twins or not, New York is still showing that they are the toughest team in the AL.
Even with a subpar strart from CC, the Yanks still managed to come down with game one. Sabathia was able to keep the Yanks from falling too far behind, got out of some big jams. The Yankee offense played a bit of a Muhammed Ali role, making Francisco Liriano throw pitch after pitch in 5 scoreless innings. The offense decided to start throwing punches when Liriano looked vulnerable in the 6th, and sure enough, they ended up with a 4-run outburst. CC would give Minnesota back a run, and it would be tied at 4s. The bullpen would then come in to do a good job, the Yankee one that is. Jesse Crain would give up a 2 run moonshot to Mark Teixeira which no announcers even made an attempt at calling when it happened. Kerry Wood and Mariano River cleaned up the 8th and 9th, and 6-4 Yanks was game one.
Game two was classic Pettitte for ya. 7 innings, 2 earned. Just made great pitches, every pitch but just about two. Lance Berkman was the offensive story in this one, homering to give the Yanks a one-run lead, and then doubling to give them a 3-2 lead. Curtis Granderson collected 3 hits, driving in one, and scoring one. The great thing about this Yankee lineup, is that a rally can ignite at any time. Whether its the top of the order stirring the pot, or 6-9 getting it going, kind of like last night.
The Yankees now go back to New York just needing to win 1 of the next 3 games, and 2 of them being at Yankee Stadium. Phil Hughes will get the game 3 start with a chance to sweep the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS for the second year in a row. He usually pitches better when he's gotten rest. Rest is what he has gotten, instead of making his last scheduled start, he pitched via bullpen, and only threw one inning, an effective inning, even picking up a win. We'll see what Phil of the future holds, if by chance the Yanks lose, CC Sabathia goes in game 4. I think we can all smell ALCS and beyond...
Even with a subpar strart from CC, the Yanks still managed to come down with game one. Sabathia was able to keep the Yanks from falling too far behind, got out of some big jams. The Yankee offense played a bit of a Muhammed Ali role, making Francisco Liriano throw pitch after pitch in 5 scoreless innings. The offense decided to start throwing punches when Liriano looked vulnerable in the 6th, and sure enough, they ended up with a 4-run outburst. CC would give Minnesota back a run, and it would be tied at 4s. The bullpen would then come in to do a good job, the Yankee one that is. Jesse Crain would give up a 2 run moonshot to Mark Teixeira which no announcers even made an attempt at calling when it happened. Kerry Wood and Mariano River cleaned up the 8th and 9th, and 6-4 Yanks was game one.
Game two was classic Pettitte for ya. 7 innings, 2 earned. Just made great pitches, every pitch but just about two. Lance Berkman was the offensive story in this one, homering to give the Yanks a one-run lead, and then doubling to give them a 3-2 lead. Curtis Granderson collected 3 hits, driving in one, and scoring one. The great thing about this Yankee lineup, is that a rally can ignite at any time. Whether its the top of the order stirring the pot, or 6-9 getting it going, kind of like last night.
The Yankees now go back to New York just needing to win 1 of the next 3 games, and 2 of them being at Yankee Stadium. Phil Hughes will get the game 3 start with a chance to sweep the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS for the second year in a row. He usually pitches better when he's gotten rest. Rest is what he has gotten, instead of making his last scheduled start, he pitched via bullpen, and only threw one inning, an effective inning, even picking up a win. We'll see what Phil of the future holds, if by chance the Yanks lose, CC Sabathia goes in game 4. I think we can all smell ALCS and beyond...
Monday, October 4, 2010
Yanks Wind up with Wildcard; Bring on the Twins
Well last Friday's Pettitte/Matsuzaka matchup never happened because of the rain, but the following day a Pettitte/Wakefield and a Burnett/Matsuzaka did. The first game was another classic matchup between Boston and New York, whether the Red Sox have the replacements playing, or minor leaguers, it doesn't matter, all games subject to go extra innings, which both did on Saturday. Andy Pettitte scattered 9 hits and 3 earned over 4 innings. While it wasn't the picture perfect playoff-like Pettitte, it was still a grind-it-out performance. Pettitte kept the Yanks in the ballgame, and allowed the Yankee offense to go to work on the knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. Wakefield can either throw a shutout over 7 innings, or give up 7 runs in 7 innings. This time Wakefield let up 5, in 5 innings. By the 7th, it was 5-3 Yanks with the big guns ready to go in the bullpen. The Yanks' bullpen would end up faltering, allowing a run in the 7th and 8th innings behind a compilation of Logan, Chamberlain, and usually Mr. Automatic Kerry Wood. Phil Hughes would come on in relief and got a well-earned 18th victory of the season. Brett Gardner would score after stolen base, after stolen base on a Jeter chopper. Small ball has been doing the trick for the Yanks as of late. The legend Mariano would get his 33rd save in the bottom of the 10th.
Game 2 was the same and different. There couldn't have been worse guys to go to for the back-end of a double header than A.J. Burnett and Daisuke Matsuzaka. Both pitchers threw a ton of pitches early and got in jam after jam creating picket fences on both halves of innings. 4-3 Yanks going into the 6th somehow, but that's where Burnett does what he does best, letting the Red Sox tie it right back up and then hand it to basically the Scranton (minor league) bullpen. Yanks would get 2 more runs in the top half of the 7th off of reliever Scott Atchison who looks like he's 57, but they would give those 2 runs right back in the bottom of the 8th thanks to a first in second jam Royce Ring left for rookie Ivan Nova. This was Nova's audition for a relief role in the postseason, and failed, not miserably, but did fail. Ivan Nova does not have it in the stretch. He is a completely different pitcher with runners on base, for the worse. This was a perfect storm, 1st and 2nd, 1 out, first relief appearance. He would let up 4 hits, walked 3! Got out of the inning tied somehow, and this led to another extra inning game in the same day where they would lose behind Ivan Nova himself, giving up a near homerun which ended up being a double, (would've been a triple if he didn't admire it) and the walk-off base hit to Eric Patterson, younger brother to Corey.
The worst part about the second game is that I left homecoming at Rutgers to go home and watch it. That makes me pretty awesome right? With that loss and a Tampa win, the Yanks lost control of their own destiny. Going into Sunday the Yanks would have to win behind Dustin Moseley and Tampa would have to lose to Kansas City (Sean O'Sullivan the starter) for the 3rd time in a 4 game series. In fact, neither happened. The Yanks would drop Sunday's game to Boston 8-4, while Tampa came back from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 in extras.
The Yanks will be going in as the Wildcard after what looked like another division clinching season. It isn't neccessary to be a champion but it does mean the Yanks have to travel to Minnesota instead of coming home and playing Texas, and if the Yanks and Rays advance past the first round, they would have to go to Tampa, but it is what it is. Cue up the excuses and get ready for Liriano/Sabathia on Wednesday.
Game 2 was the same and different. There couldn't have been worse guys to go to for the back-end of a double header than A.J. Burnett and Daisuke Matsuzaka. Both pitchers threw a ton of pitches early and got in jam after jam creating picket fences on both halves of innings. 4-3 Yanks going into the 6th somehow, but that's where Burnett does what he does best, letting the Red Sox tie it right back up and then hand it to basically the Scranton (minor league) bullpen. Yanks would get 2 more runs in the top half of the 7th off of reliever Scott Atchison who looks like he's 57, but they would give those 2 runs right back in the bottom of the 8th thanks to a first in second jam Royce Ring left for rookie Ivan Nova. This was Nova's audition for a relief role in the postseason, and failed, not miserably, but did fail. Ivan Nova does not have it in the stretch. He is a completely different pitcher with runners on base, for the worse. This was a perfect storm, 1st and 2nd, 1 out, first relief appearance. He would let up 4 hits, walked 3! Got out of the inning tied somehow, and this led to another extra inning game in the same day where they would lose behind Ivan Nova himself, giving up a near homerun which ended up being a double, (would've been a triple if he didn't admire it) and the walk-off base hit to Eric Patterson, younger brother to Corey.
The worst part about the second game is that I left homecoming at Rutgers to go home and watch it. That makes me pretty awesome right? With that loss and a Tampa win, the Yanks lost control of their own destiny. Going into Sunday the Yanks would have to win behind Dustin Moseley and Tampa would have to lose to Kansas City (Sean O'Sullivan the starter) for the 3rd time in a 4 game series. In fact, neither happened. The Yanks would drop Sunday's game to Boston 8-4, while Tampa came back from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 in extras.
The Yanks will be going in as the Wildcard after what looked like another division clinching season. It isn't neccessary to be a champion but it does mean the Yanks have to travel to Minnesota instead of coming home and playing Texas, and if the Yanks and Rays advance past the first round, they would have to go to Tampa, but it is what it is. Cue up the excuses and get ready for Liriano/Sabathia on Wednesday.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Shades of '07 Giants
Tonight we witnessed what Giants' fan have been waiting for, for the last year since the painful, depressing, morale-crushing loss to the New Orleans Saints in week 6 of the 2009 campaign - a solid defensive performance.
After winning the Superbowl in 2007, with majority of the credit to the Giants solid defensive play, Big Blue's "O's" haven't exactly lived up to the intimidating, electric reputation they established. In 2009 the Giants ranked 29th in points per game allowed as well as total points allowed above only the St. Louis Rams and Detroit Lions; a large decline after ranking very high in most major defensive statistics in 2007. This week on the gridiron, however, the Giants went toe-to-toe with the undefeated Chicago Bears who's offense of late has been rolling lead by #6 Jay Cutler. Cutler, after coming off his worst statistical year of his career (27 TDs and 26 Picks) in his first year with the bears, has come out in 2010 with a vengeance and a point to prove. So far during the 2010 campaign, he's throw for 870 yards, 6 touchdowns and only 2 picks through 3 weeks of the season with an outstanding QB rating of 109. I can imagine after watching the Giants vs. the Titans the week prior, Cutler went into the new Meadowlands Stadium confident, expecting to walk out as the first and only 4-0 team in the NFL this year. Well for those of you who didn't catch the game, the G-men came out making a GIANT statement to those who have doubted them. However, I'm not sure I'm ready to jump on the "Giants D is back" bandwagon just quite yet.
As every week goes by, we as Giants fans witness our team give up the big play time and time again. Yes, we occasionally watch the Giants put on a decent defensive display, and by decent i mean allowing 14-21 points with a turnover or two and a win. Is it just me or does an epic failure always seem to follow a solid performance by the Giants, whether it's on the offensive side or the defensive side. I cannot remember the last time i watched the Giants string solid back to back wins together after week 5 of 2009. And already after a slow defensive start to this season, the giants made a huge statement vs. the Bears holding them to 173 yards of total offense, 0-13 on third down, an average of 2.1 yards per play, and 3 total points on the scoreboard. Oh, did i mention the Giants D showed how big their "D" really is by forcing Jay Cutler out with a concussion, back-up QB Todd Collins out with an injury, and sacking the 3 Bears' QBs 9 times in the first half (an NFL record) and 10 total times in the game. After all these accomplishments it's also important to point out that the G-men had a few key injuries on the defensive side including starting linebacker Keith Bullock. With such gaudy defensive numbers, it should be clear that this win was a breeze for the Giants as the defense gave the offense so many scoring opportunities, right? Wrong.
Even with the 3 turnovers and 10 sacks, the Giants offense severely struggled. The Giants were only able to string 3 points together in the first half and 17 total in the game. To me, no Giants fan can be satisfied with such a poor offensive performance. I watched people's Facebook status' all night about how proud of the Giants they were and how they were so excited that the defense came to life, however, i feel that the hype and excitement of this defensive performance has blinded the fans of the big picture.
The G-men have a lot of issues that need to be worked out quick if they want to have any chance of making a serious playoff run this year. To briefly touch on them, they need to sort out the special teams on the offensive and defensive side. The Giants defensive special teams is very weak allowing approximately 38 yards per kick off return which is the worst in the league. On the offensive side, the Giants' kick returner Darius Reynaud cannot hang on to a kick for the life of him, either fumbling or bobbling every ball that is headed his way. The rookie punter Matt Dodge has punted so poorly that after every punt the Meadowlands stadium crowd filled with Giants fans let's out a monstrous roar of boo's to remind Dodge of how lousy he is. Next is the painful offensive play calling of offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride who thinks calling a draw on every second down and going out of shotgun on third and short is the way to win in the NFL. There are a few bright spots to the Giants offensive, however; Ahmed Bradshaw is having the big season (or at least start) that i called he would have, and the angry helmet-launching second string linebacker-running back, Brandon Jacobs, found himself getting off of the blue-colored paydirt after tacking on a late score for the Giants. Perhaps that score will give Jacobs a little boost of confidence as the newly dubed #2 back. It is also worth mentioning that Jacobs did finally do some down hill running, just ask some of the Bears secondary.
The bottom line is despite the excellent defensive performance the Giants put on today i don't think it is the right time to get our hopes up as there is still much work to do. I think what Sunday's game showed us is that there is some life left in the Giants D and when they're motivated to win they can really get after a quarterback and make a veteran like Cutler look like a freshman high school QB. I think today also showed us that the Giants offense and special teams have a long way to go before we should even think about calling ourselves a serious contender in the NFC East. But hey, if the Giants can continue to play well and string some wins together it may not be a bad time as we are not sure how long Mike Vick will be out for the Eagles leaving the NFC East up for grabs to this point.
-Eric Krempa-
After winning the Superbowl in 2007, with majority of the credit to the Giants solid defensive play, Big Blue's "O's" haven't exactly lived up to the intimidating, electric reputation they established. In 2009 the Giants ranked 29th in points per game allowed as well as total points allowed above only the St. Louis Rams and Detroit Lions; a large decline after ranking very high in most major defensive statistics in 2007. This week on the gridiron, however, the Giants went toe-to-toe with the undefeated Chicago Bears who's offense of late has been rolling lead by #6 Jay Cutler. Cutler, after coming off his worst statistical year of his career (27 TDs and 26 Picks) in his first year with the bears, has come out in 2010 with a vengeance and a point to prove. So far during the 2010 campaign, he's throw for 870 yards, 6 touchdowns and only 2 picks through 3 weeks of the season with an outstanding QB rating of 109. I can imagine after watching the Giants vs. the Titans the week prior, Cutler went into the new Meadowlands Stadium confident, expecting to walk out as the first and only 4-0 team in the NFL this year. Well for those of you who didn't catch the game, the G-men came out making a GIANT statement to those who have doubted them. However, I'm not sure I'm ready to jump on the "Giants D is back" bandwagon just quite yet.
As every week goes by, we as Giants fans witness our team give up the big play time and time again. Yes, we occasionally watch the Giants put on a decent defensive display, and by decent i mean allowing 14-21 points with a turnover or two and a win. Is it just me or does an epic failure always seem to follow a solid performance by the Giants, whether it's on the offensive side or the defensive side. I cannot remember the last time i watched the Giants string solid back to back wins together after week 5 of 2009. And already after a slow defensive start to this season, the giants made a huge statement vs. the Bears holding them to 173 yards of total offense, 0-13 on third down, an average of 2.1 yards per play, and 3 total points on the scoreboard. Oh, did i mention the Giants D showed how big their "D" really is by forcing Jay Cutler out with a concussion, back-up QB Todd Collins out with an injury, and sacking the 3 Bears' QBs 9 times in the first half (an NFL record) and 10 total times in the game. After all these accomplishments it's also important to point out that the G-men had a few key injuries on the defensive side including starting linebacker Keith Bullock. With such gaudy defensive numbers, it should be clear that this win was a breeze for the Giants as the defense gave the offense so many scoring opportunities, right? Wrong.
Even with the 3 turnovers and 10 sacks, the Giants offense severely struggled. The Giants were only able to string 3 points together in the first half and 17 total in the game. To me, no Giants fan can be satisfied with such a poor offensive performance. I watched people's Facebook status' all night about how proud of the Giants they were and how they were so excited that the defense came to life, however, i feel that the hype and excitement of this defensive performance has blinded the fans of the big picture.
The G-men have a lot of issues that need to be worked out quick if they want to have any chance of making a serious playoff run this year. To briefly touch on them, they need to sort out the special teams on the offensive and defensive side. The Giants defensive special teams is very weak allowing approximately 38 yards per kick off return which is the worst in the league. On the offensive side, the Giants' kick returner Darius Reynaud cannot hang on to a kick for the life of him, either fumbling or bobbling every ball that is headed his way. The rookie punter Matt Dodge has punted so poorly that after every punt the Meadowlands stadium crowd filled with Giants fans let's out a monstrous roar of boo's to remind Dodge of how lousy he is. Next is the painful offensive play calling of offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride who thinks calling a draw on every second down and going out of shotgun on third and short is the way to win in the NFL. There are a few bright spots to the Giants offensive, however; Ahmed Bradshaw is having the big season (or at least start) that i called he would have, and the angry helmet-launching second string linebacker-running back, Brandon Jacobs, found himself getting off of the blue-colored paydirt after tacking on a late score for the Giants. Perhaps that score will give Jacobs a little boost of confidence as the newly dubed #2 back. It is also worth mentioning that Jacobs did finally do some down hill running, just ask some of the Bears secondary.
The bottom line is despite the excellent defensive performance the Giants put on today i don't think it is the right time to get our hopes up as there is still much work to do. I think what Sunday's game showed us is that there is some life left in the Giants D and when they're motivated to win they can really get after a quarterback and make a veteran like Cutler look like a freshman high school QB. I think today also showed us that the Giants offense and special teams have a long way to go before we should even think about calling ourselves a serious contender in the NFC East. But hey, if the Giants can continue to play well and string some wins together it may not be a bad time as we are not sure how long Mike Vick will be out for the Eagles leaving the NFC East up for grabs to this point.
-Eric Krempa-
Friday, October 1, 2010
Yanks Sit Back, Go to Sleep Tied with Rays
As any real Yankee fan would, I tuned into Rays/Royals last night and cheered on Kansas City knowing that with a KC win, the Yanks' half game defecit would evaporate. Simultaneously, I'm sipping some MGDs for some reason watching the Padres lose a 1-0 ballgame to the Cubs thanks to Heath Bells' first loss of the year. Jon Garland had thrown 6 and a third scoreless innings. Jose Bautista also hit 2 more homers, (54) as the Jays spanked the Twins 13-2, Minnesota has lost 6 of 7.
After the Royals held on to a 3-2 win the Yanks were tied for first place in the AL East and now it all comes down to 3 games. Yanks will face Daisuke Matsuzaka tonight, who pitched well against them last Sunday giving up 2 runs, (A-Rod 2-run homer) in 8 innings. Andy likes to Pettitte goes for the Yanks tonight in a final regular season tune-up. This is the perfect situation for Pettitte. He gets a chance to redeem himself after his last rocky outing against Boston in which he allowed 7 runs. Pettitte also gets to pitch in a "playoff like" atmosphere up in hateville and gets to help the Yanks win their division in the final series of the season. Exciting baseball has officially started, and in the words of Chubbs.."HERE WE GO!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWLx0v7yabo
After the Royals held on to a 3-2 win the Yanks were tied for first place in the AL East and now it all comes down to 3 games. Yanks will face Daisuke Matsuzaka tonight, who pitched well against them last Sunday giving up 2 runs, (A-Rod 2-run homer) in 8 innings. Andy likes to Pettitte goes for the Yanks tonight in a final regular season tune-up. This is the perfect situation for Pettitte. He gets a chance to redeem himself after his last rocky outing against Boston in which he allowed 7 runs. Pettitte also gets to pitch in a "playoff like" atmosphere up in hateville and gets to help the Yanks win their division in the final series of the season. Exciting baseball has officially started, and in the words of Chubbs.."HERE WE GO!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWLx0v7yabo
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