Woody drops a deuce on the mattress

So Mr. T gets the axe, and Sexy Rexy gets the spoils.

This is one of the most asinine decisions I can think of.  Forget the fact that Rex needs to go--the Jets clearly need a better Head Coach--but that's not even my main problem with this decision.   

The organization needs a reset, so that starts at the top by getting the right General Manager for the job.  Someone with experience.  Who knows the league.  Who knows how to fill a roster with athleticism and skill, but also mesh personalities into a group that can exemplify dedication and character.  

How many guys are out there who fit that bill?   And of that group, how many want to come work for Woody, in the three ring circus that is Jets-ville, under the white hot glare of tabloid journalism?

So here's an idea: before beginning your search for the new "head" of the organization, the guy from which all success or failure will ultimately flow, let's take this incredibly small available talent pool for the GM and layer another IMPOSSIBLE precondition on it: that this GM would choose and/or be fully supportive of having Rex as his head coach.   Remember--it's not like the GM can just endure Rex, he now has to tailor his team around Rex.  Because the owner didn't just fire T and stay silent on Rex--the owner said Rex is the guy who can get the job done.   No GM can come in and blame the coach, and hire a guy who fits the GM's system.  Not after the owner just said Rex the right guy for the job.

Talk about cart before the horse.

Then again, "horse" leads to "horse's ass" leads to "ass" leads to "buttfumble" leads to Jets.  So I guess it all makes sense.

Just End The Season

This game was real throwback to the 6-3 Colts/Jets games of yore.

Pure #fail with both teams competing to regurgitate the win.  The Jets succeeding by committing 5 turnovers.

I could rant and rave about the fact that Ryan needs to go.  That new offensive personnel is needed.  That this team's character deficiencies cannot be surmounted by the reasonable defensive talent they've assembled.

But why bother?  I said it a year ago.  Hell, any Jets fan with eyes said it a year ago, when star players were quitting on the field with the playoffs still in reach.

The only thing we've really learned this year, beyond a shadow of a doubt, is that Sanchez is not and will never be the answer at QB.  It's too bad.  He's a good guy.  But he's done.  Let's start McElroy the last two, to see if he can be a serviceable backup going forward, and bring in a new playcaller next year.

The Day the Big East died

The 7 B-ball only Catholic schools have voted to kill or leave the Big East.  The league will be disbanded, and those 7 schools will together re-form a new conference that, per NCAA rules, will maintain its automatic bid to the Big Dance.  I would guess they will seek to selectively add some schools from other conferences, probably the A-10.  Butler, Xavier, U Mass, VCU, Dayton and St. Louis seem to be possibles.  My guess--and it is only that--is that they are very selective and add only Xavier to get to an 8 team conference.

What the football schools (Conn, USF, Cincinnati) and the incoming schools like Houston, UCF, Temple, SMU, Memphis and Tulane are supposed to do now, I have no idea.  Maybe they will stick together as a group of 9.  Adding the 4 incoming "football only" schools--Navy, San Diego State, East Carolina, and Boise--gets them to 13.  Enough to qualify for a championship football game and the money that comes with it.  So maybe those 13 will just stick it out despite seeming to have no natural rivalries, geographic consistency, or other common elements between them.

Truth be told, I don't really care what happens to the football schools (although Duke could end up with them if the ACC is poached to death).   What's important here is what the 7 are doing.

This is a brilliant, visionary move by the Catholic schools.  They are forgoing football revenue, which flies in the face of the new math of collegiate athletic economics.  In the place of a massive 12-16 team superconference, they will likely be returning to a more manageable 8-10 team conference.  A conference where there can be a double-round-robin schedule, which will enable a superior regular season product.  From a basketball standpoint, these teams are well matched.  The schools are sensibly combined from a geography standpoint.  There is a cultural commonality to big city northern schools.  They are all big-time basketball programs.   Where all the other conferences are trying to out "big" each other for football revenue, this group of 7 schools have just positioned themselves as the premier basketball conference in the country, playing by a different set of rules than the rest of the money-chasing gridiron guys.

The superconferences are the product of accountants.  This league will provide a product that pleases someone else--the customer.

Old Big East looking to "kick out" new Big East?

And get back to a non-football, power bball conference.

Link.

Here's the money quote:

At issue is whether the Big East basketball-only schools have the power to dissolve the league, and retain all the assets and brand name. A source with knowledge of the situation said that until July 1, the seven have the majority votes and the necessary three-fourths to have controlling power. There are only three remaining football members -- Connecticut, Cincinnati and South Florida.

But a number of sources couldn't confirm whether Temple, which is a football-only member this season, has a controlling vote. One Big East source said Temple has a vote on football issues but wasn't sure whether the Owls could use that vote for membership. If the Owls could, Temple likely would be the fourth vote preventing any dissolving of the league.

The move would also disassociate the traditional Big East teams from the yet-to-join-but-admitted merry band of misfits:  "Memphis, Tulane, Central Florida, SMU and Houston, and football-only member East Carolina."

So...apparently, the remaining (real) Big East schools want to go back to what they do well, and stop cobbling together crap.  Makes sense.   Only wish they had the foresight to see the wisdom of this path earlier. 

Can't quite figure it out...

There seems to be a jersey missing in the '83 grouping in this discussion about best QB class of all time...

More Conference Realignment

I'm gonna take a WAG as to where this goes next.  Hint--ACC, not Big 12, is next to go down:


1) UNC, UVA to B1G
2) Virginia Tech and NC State to SEC
3) FSU, Clemson, G Tech, Miami, Louisville and (last shoe to drop--when new league has replaced NCAA) ND to Big 12

ACC remnant: Duke, Wake, Cuse, Pitt, BC
They probably raid for: Temple, Conn, Navy

Cuse
BC
Conn
Temple
Pitt
Navy
Wake
Duke

Back to an 8 team league, double round robin format.  Hoops fans rejoice at the schedule, cry for the diminished competition.  Football-wise, clearly this becomes a level below a power conference, on par with the Mountain West, and just a notch above C USA.

Jets schedule

Well, at 4-6, I have to be fair, the Jets have exceeded my pitiful expectations.

True, they have played terrible football, showed little in the way of camaraderie, and have been, by all accounts, little more than a traveling circus act. Yet, by hook or by crook, they've managed to get 4 W's.

They get the Pats this week. And then things get interesting. The Jets play their last 5 games against teams with losing records. Given they're only 2 games behind the WC teams, could they conceivably hang around the playoff picture for a few more weeks? It's hard to believe, but not its not impossible at this point. Needless to say, I won't be making any large wagers.

ND Number 1!

Back where they belong!

Now just don't choke to USC and you are on your way to national championship!!

Maybe even the first-ever Heisman for a pure defensive player.

A look back at some great Jet moments

Fire Rex, Hire Payton

(NT)

Some New Wu from Rae the Chef...

Click here to go to WU on Fallon. Click here to go to RZA with Black Keys from Iron Fists.

San-chews

No one has worse peripheral vision than Sanchez.  Also, his unwillingness to throw the ball away is absurd.  Reminds me of Bledsoe with the pats.

After Ibanez's PH HR for A-Rod, I've got just one question

ht on pic: Raekwon

MNF

The 2-2 Jetties take on the undefeated Texans tomorrow night.

Jets are minus Revis, Holmes, Keller, Hill and Pouha.

It goes without saying I like those odds.

It's that time of year

It’s time for the Jets to break glass in event of emergency. And that has brought them to cornerback Aaron Berry.

Berry, a former Lion whose very bad year began with playing the “broke and miserable” card on Twitter against fans criticizing him and the rest of his team for getting toasted in New Orleans and continued with a pair of offseason arrests and a three-game suspension, has agreed to terms with the Jets, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Replacement refs have been replaced

And I, for one, will miss them.  There was an element of chance that just made things interesting.  Just because you saw an interception didn't mean it was an interception.  You never knew what was hiding behind curtain #2.  It's almost like the NFL turned into The Running Man for a bit there.

Looks like an INT for Jennings....  OH! That chainsaw just cut him in half!  Remember:  a pass is not incomplete when resting on body parts.  They can still run with that ball...

Kyrie!

Tom Haberstroh from ESPN, on how frickin' awesome KI is:

FROM GREAT TO SUPERSTAR IN 2012

Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers

[+] Enlarge

Kent Smith/Getty ImagesKyrie Irving was a model of efficiency during a spectacular rookie season.

You could make the argument that no NBA player has ever been this good this young. It's almost impossible to exceed expectations as a No. 1 overall pick, but Irving managed to do that as a rookie for the rebuilding Cavaliers team. Irving averaged 18.5 points, 5.4 assists and 3.7 rebounds last season while shooting incredibly efficient from deep (39.9 percent on threes) and at the free throw line (87.2 percent).

All in all, Irving registered a 21.4 player efficiency rating and dominated crunch time. These numbers are impressive on their own, but they become staggering when you consider that a) he was a teenager last season and b) he barely played 30 minutes a game.

It's the best PER we've seen from a 19-year-old in NBA history -- better than the likes of LeBron James, Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant when they entered the league. Irving's minute count is especially important to note because there's little chance that Irving will have a governor on his playing time like he did in his rookie season. Because the Cavs were ultraconservative with his minutes on the floor, Irving's numbers may come off as a little lower than those of a bona fide star. However, this is a guy who averaged 21.8 points, 6.4 assists and 4.4 rebounds when we translate his stat line to a per-36 minute level.

Jeter ties Gehrig

For most career 200 hit seasons as a Yankee, with 8.   Just remarkable.  Anytime your name ends up next to Gehrig's in a baseball-related context, it's something special.

And btw, SHK, this last bit of news has finally tipped the scale, IMO.  We argued about in 1994, but now the verdict is in.   You were right.  Jeter has more promise than Ordonez.

Don't ever say I'm too hard-headed to admit when I'm wrong.

Winslow to Pats

Hmmm... can't imagine any other team that could have used a really good pass catching TE in place of an injured #1 TE. The Pats are bringing him in to replace their #2 TE, so arguably he could've counted on more touches with the Jets.

Then again, I'm sure the Jets had good reason not to pursue him. If one thing was clear in the loss to the Steelers, it's that Cumberland looks prepared to make the jump to being a prime-time player.

Just smh, really.

Of course, maybe T reached out to Winslow. I should give him the benefit of the doubt. Because if Winslow had the option of joining the Pats or the Jets' blazing dumpster fire, well.... Which would you pick?

20 for Dickey?

Who thinks he'll get there? He's at 18 with 4 starts left. Seems like he gets about 1.5 runs per start over the last month...

Tender, strong and true / Proudly in the heavens / Gleam thy gold and blue

Link

UPDATE:

Link 2, with a guess as to when full football membership will follow.

If you are going to fight from a lower row...

You better swing for the mid-section...

Mets

Fredo suggests the mets season isn't in the toilet yet.

Mike Francesca thinks otherwise. Epic rant.

Rasheed Sulaimon 2012 Summer EliteMixtape; Duke Incoming Freshman!

This kid looks like he's gonna be special:

Continuing with SHK's thoughts

Well, SHK, you missed out on the conversation that Caribou, ManBeast and myself had at the cigar lounge the other night.  You also missed out on the cigars and Knob Creek, but not much I can do about that...

We covered most of your points and some others as well.

Let's start on points of agreement:

1) "The debacle that lies ahead."  Check.

I referred to it as the "4-12 trainwreck in the windshield."

2) "Wayne Hunter. Disaster".

Not much to add, except the fact that the whole premise of our offense is that our O line can dominate game in game out.  And our starting RT sucks.

Points of modified disagreement:

1) Sparano -- I'm not fawning over the guy, but lets face it, he did a decent job with just about ZERO talent on that team's offense (but I'd prefer to get D.C.'s commentary on Sparano, having watched him more closely).  Come to think of it, coaching the Fins, who haven't had a QB in years, was pretty good prep for this job.  But more importantly, I'm glad Sparano's there because it's like holding a lotto ticket.  If the right #s come up, maybe Ryan will be fired and a new HC is already waiting in the wings.  Dollar and a dream.

2) Which brings me to Ryan-- Ever since he came in puffing up his player's egos, and convincing Mr. T that he could turn around the bad apples of the NFL (where the average apple is pretty bad to begin with), you were kind of waiting for the implosion.  You got it down the stretch last season.

The complete meltdown against Big Blue, and then star players quitting mid-game with the season on the line.  But once Ryan admitted he didn't know Holmes had been benched, the gig was up.  This guy not only doesn't have control of his players, he doesn't even know what's happening on the field.  The team's core players not only lacked chemistry, they demonstrated they outright don't like each other, and won't play for each other.  The writing was on the wall that Ryan had lost this team completely-- both from a "vision" standpoint (where we're headed as a unit) and from a day-to-day managerial standpoint.  I argued at the end of last season he needed to go, and you guys know I'm not quick to pin failure on managers/coaches.

Predictably, this preseason is off to a circus start, with fights, and loudmouths saying loudmouth things.  So Rex holds his big presser, "we've got that out our system, I'm not going to have anymore of that." " Next day, more brawls.  Lollers.  HE. HAS. LOST. THIS. TEAM.

Completely.

I like how happy Rex is we're returning to "ground and pound" offense-- let's play smashmouth football in a league where the winningest teams always throw 60% of the time.

I'll throw this out there as an upfront challenge-- I don't want to hear people slamming the OC bcause we run 2/3 of the time, including on 2nd and 12 and 3rd & 7.  Sparano was brought in EXACTLY BECAUSE Rex (with T's consent) wants that kind of offense.   They hired him and told him to ground & pound.  And he will.  Give him credit for being a good employee.

3) Mr. T

He bought a lot of goodwill in my book when he came in with Mangini and built this team up via the draft, and especially his mid round picks where he focused on character guys.  Shonne Green, Matt Slauson, Eric Smith, Brad Smith were all character guys that he grabbed in the middle rounds--worker bees who not only produced (to greater or lesser degrees) on the field, but set a tone in terms of work ethic.

Of course, he also had many good early round cornerstone picks: Mangold, Brick, Revis, David Harris, Keller, etc.

But the goodwill is fading fast.  He's clearly altered his approach with Rex.  I'm fine with flexing to meet the coach's system, but when you're drafting or signing guys like Plaxico, Coples, Kenrick Ellis, Santonio and Cromartie, you're sending a message to your team that a "me-first" attitude is OK--maybe even rewarded.  That's a cancer that's very hard to cut out once it starts spreading.  And the Jets are like Stage 4 right now.

By the end of last season, it was clear Rex had to go, and T was either too blind to see it, or Woody just likes having the circus in town.  T must get some of the blame for the impending disaster.  Even if it doesn't cost him his job, I hope he learns from the error of his ways and returns to his earlier draft approach.

4) Santonio - There was a choice to pick Holmes over Braylon, but he wasn't chosen OVER Brad Smith or Cotchery.  The decision to let those two go were independent bad choices, so let's not muddy the water.

It's tough to say T was wrong in resigning Holmes, b/c Braylon's played about 3 downs of football since he left the Jets, and Holmes had multiple game winning catches the previous season.  Santonio has proven he's a gamer in big spots, but has now also proven he'll sulk and quit if he's not getting enough touches.

Note that he never quit when playing on the Steelers.  That's the difference when you're on a team with a good culture and a bad culture, and why a coach's impact has much more to do with building a culture of excellence than with the on-field choices we fans (read, arm chair offensive coordinators for 3 hrs a week) care about.

It's about setting expectations and getting guys to have their sights set on winning 365 days a year, working in the weight room, getting into camp, focusing, etc.   It's always the little things that aggregate up to winning squads.

So while I currently despise Santonio, the decision to keep him wasn't horrible, given the limited options and tight timeframe they were making those decisions.  With this group, the guy clearly doesn't work, and needs to go.  But then again--that's true of most of this team.  If Parcells came back, he'd turn over 80% of the roster and start over, because that's the only way to remove the "me first" tumor.

BOTTOM LINE: I'm not giving up on the Mets.  Riding them right until mathematical elimination in late September.  It's far more enjoyable than the s show, on the field and off, that the Rusty Propellers will be putting up over the next 5 weeks.

Moving on

With the mets season now all but in the toilet, and the jets having nothing but Super Bowl opportunity ahead of them (just on account of the season not having started yet), it's time for that time honored tradition of switching over to NFL talk.

With that in mind, the jets 26-3 visit to the woodshed is quite timely.

It allows me full opportunity to complain about: (a) the debacle that lies ahead this season with two sub-par QBs 'battling,' (b) keeping Holmes, but not Braylon, cotchery or brad smith, (c) tony sparano, and (d) anything else that comes to mind.

(d) just came to mind - Wayne hunter. Disaster.

I'll reserve judgment until we have a few games under our belts, but I will go on the record now saying I never thought the sparano pickup made any sense. Dolphins - offensive juggernauts?

The EPL in a nutshell

How did I end up in this shell?  How do I get out?

Just kidding...

Was reading on espn.com and this description of the EPL gave me lulz.

Part sporting competition, part outlandish soap opera, the EPL is the most watched league in the world. It's a kaleidoscopic collision of heroes, heels, haircuts and hard cash. Yet, bereft of the salary caps, revenue shares and drafts that bring parity to American sport, the league remains an anarchical entity in which results are guaranteed as much by the balance sheet as the team sheet.

The financial imbalance means that in reality, the league is not one competition but three loosely connected leagues within a league. There is "The Battle of the Champions League" waged among an elite band of sheiks, oligarchs and the beneficiaries of a recent New York Stock Exchange IPO; a "Race for Respectability" for the middling teams that lollop toward the consoling placebo of a Europa League place; and the "Race of Death" between the cellar dwellers who are forced to scrap it out to avoid the trapdoor of relegation like slaves at the Roman Colosseum.

I guess the good news for me is that the EPL is back. I can go back to rooting for the Gunners without really having any clue what's happening on the pitch.

Just a crazy idea

Everyone knows that the Mets are in desperate need of some quality late inning relievers.

So.... What makes a good late inning reliever?

In my mind, the first qualifications are mental.  Someone with tons of guts, unafraid to challenge hitters, and who can pound the strike zone.  While most fans think "flamethrower" when they think of late-inning guys, there are plenty of guys who were successful because they had the right mindset, even without throwing in the mid- to high-90s.  [Take this description from Wiki of a guy in the top 5 all time in saves:  "XXX was a traditional relief pitcher with a '90-mph fastball and a change-up that breaks away from a righthanded batter like a screwball.']

Mets have a starting pitcher who is practically the embodiment of the above traits.  Unfortunately, his arm appears shot and it would seem he can no longer throw 80, no less 100 pitches in a game.  It looks like his contract might be dead weight at this point, unless the Mets can find a way to use him effectively.

So what do you think... Johan to the pen?  The Mets' Eckersley project?

Did Gary Carter invent the term????

F_Bomb

Ike is OK

Raekwon asked me if I was concerned Ike was a bust in May or June.  I told him the guy had missed a year, and was still developing--he needed to get his timing and eye back.  I said he'd probably pick it up in the second half.  Looks like the kid 'll be alright.

Davis has had a bizarre season, one that seems almost unfathomable. Consider in his first 56 games through June 8, the Mets first baseman was hitting .158 with five homers, 21 RBIs and a .507 OPS — a full-season pace of 15 homers and 61 RBIs. About as bad as it gets.

But in 50 games since, he’s hitting .267 with 15 homers, 40 RBIs (a full-season pace of 49 homers and 130 RBIs) and a .907 OPS — production that would rank him among the NL’s best hitters.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/mets_hope_they_re_seeing_real_davis_XoZlCHYxAt0oQoWbUrn0AJ#ixzz23RBQy6N3

Matt Harvey: The debut

Getting his first MLB start against the DBacks tonight at 9:40 EDT.

Let's End the Second Half!

I liked the first half better. Never thought I'd be pining for the return of Frank Frank.

The End of Linsanity

Jay Kaspian Kang at Grantland envisions how Dolan would play cards, and pretty much hits the nail on the head:

The failure to re-sign Jeremy Lin, despite months of guarantees, seems to be the latest in a line of silly, PR-inspired bumblings by a man who has continually thought, out-thought, rethought, and then un-thought himself.

Here's how Jim Dolan would play pocket aces in a game of Texas hold 'em:

Sweet! Pocket aces! Come on, JD, don't mess this up. … Why is this asshole dealer looking at me like that and why is that dude in the cowboy hat smiling? Oh man, I think he knows. … Nah, he doesn't know, he's so stupid with his stupid hat and his stupid accent. Shit. He does know. Maybe I should call Isiah? Nah, cause if they see me calling Isiah, they'll all laugh. Play it cool, Jimmy. What would be the only thing they'd never expect from you? What would Isiah do? WWID? Fold, Jimmy, fold!

DOLAN: I fold.
DEALER: Sir, it's not your turn to act.
DOLAN: Don't tell me what to do.
MAN IN HAT: Folded aces again, huh?
DOLAN: It was the right move, dickface.

Again, I ask: Why does anyone care how Jim Dolan spends his money? Unless Dolan releases MSG's annual earnings report with a manual and a DVD that explain exactly how much more expensive tickets will be if the Knicks sign Jeremy Lin, none of us should speculate ourselves into agreeing with Jim Dolan.

Dolan is the premium douchebag out there. Brimming with arrogance because he owns the "greatest arena in the world," he consistently values seeing his name in print, and chumming around with Big Manhattan Money, than he does with putting together a winning product. When his GMs tell him to step off, that he's valuing the wrong things (trading for Carmelo, for example, when he could have signed him in a year), he overrides them. He's like Bad George with less charm.

I bailed on the Rangers b/c I was sick of NYC, sick of the NYC attitude, and sick of Dolan's arrogance. Jeremy Lin was the first thing that made me pay attention to the NBA in years, and now Dolan folded his aces. He thinks it was the right move, but he just keeps proving himself to be a dickhead.

Well done, Mr. Kang, and eff you, Jim Dolan.

Wilmer Flores update

Kid has been promoted to AA after teeing off in St Lucie.  Through his first 16 games, he's hitting .390 with a 1.008 OPS and only 2 Ks.

This one is getting very, very interesting.

Lets start the second half!

The Mets are out-performing my expectations significantly this year, but will have some issues in the second half.  It will be nearly impossible for Dickey to continue to perform the way he did in the first half.  Santana needs to get better.   They will need a replacement for Gee, and they are highly unlikely to get anyone who can perform as well as Dillon did in the first half.

The bullpen is a steaming pile, and it's hard to see any quick fixes there, unless Mejia can reclaim form.

Of course, the offense could actually get better--Ike and Duda can both hit at a higher level than they did in the first half.   Lets go Mets!

Eric Chavez is an Escort Catering to a Downscale Male Clientele

That is all.

R.A. Dickey

That is all.

Sweep!

Just what the Dr. ordered for the Metsies, coming off the disappointing series in Washington and the Bronx. 

Added bonus: Ike has gotten hot.

 Double added bonus: R.A. Dickey.

David Stern b-slaps Jim Rome

I've never paid much attention to Rome.  Listened to his radio shtick a handful of times.  It's tiresome, boorish, and (IMHO) second-rate.

So I can't say it didn't make me smile to read this transcript, where David Stern basically turns the tables on him and walks away unscathed, while Rome fumes.

Pitchers down on the farm

Here are our top prospects, all 3 of whom could be with the big league club by the end of the year:

Zack Wheeler
Matt Harvey
Jeurys Familia

Also, Jenrry Mejia is apparently healthy, and has been moved back to the pen at AAA to get him ready for a bullpen assignment with the Mets.  The story linked above has a good synopsis of Mejia's career to date, which may well be the poster child for mismanaged young talent (and apparently we can thank the Gangsta for that one).

Wilmer Flores

Our 3B of the future--or perhaps just trade bait--is having a breakout year in St. Lucie this year.  If you'd like to hear a bit more about him, try this link.

Another commit for the Johnnies

Chris Obekpa from the Island, a top-75ish player, will be playing for SJU next year.  Here's the story.

Kudos to the Yanks

After blitzing an obviously affected Santana, they eked out a couple of good wins by getting the key hits and key outs they needed late in games.  That's what makes 'em the Yankees.

Looking forward to round 2 in Citi.

Olney: Lots of good OF Free Agents this Fall

From ESPN:

Josh Hamilton: He'll be the most prominent name on the market, and nobody doubts his talent -- least of all the Rangers, who look at him as a game-changer. But what's the proper level of investment, given the risks suggested by his personal history? If Hamilton is going to be in line for a deal over $100 million, which teams, exactly, are going to compete with the Rangers?
The Yankees are now bumping up against their budget and already have other pressing needs -- most notably Robinson Cano's impending free agency in the fall of 2013 -- so it's highly unlikely they'd get involved. The Red Sox already are overstocked with big contracts. The Angels are loaded with outfielders. The Cubs are rebuilding from the ground up, so it might make little sense for them to throw out a huge deal to an over-30 outfielder when they're burdened by Alfonso Soriano's deal. The Mets have to deal with David Wright's situation first.
Baltimore could an interesting option, one GM mused. "But I don't think he's got a lot of places to go," in light of what his salary will be.
The big question about the Rangers' offer to him is going to be how many years will they guarantee. Two? Three? Four, with a lot of vesting options attached? We'll see.
Hamilton intends to use his free-agent dollars for philanthropic purposes, writes Randy Galloway.

Michael Bourn: He is having an excellent season, hitting .305 with a .357 on-base percentage, and he's on pace for a season of 210 hits, 117 runs and 43 stolen bases. And he's a center fielder.

Andre Ethier: Other Dodgers felt like he came to camp with a renewed sense of purpose, and it's showing: He's been mashing, hitting .305 with 48 RBIs, and is in line for a lot of top-10 MVP votes.

Melky Cabrera: He's a wild card, because of his explosive emergence as an elite outfielder the last two seasons. He had 201 hits for the Royals in 2011, and Kansas City, looking to free up center field for Lorenzo Cain, swapped him to San Francisco -- and Cabrera has generated more of the same, with a .403 on-base percentage and 25 extra-base hits among 87 hits. He left Thursday's game with a hamstring issue.

Shane Victorino: The Phillies' Gold Glove center fielder was offered a three-year deal in the offseason, and he's looking for five years. So far this year, he's hitting .249 with seven homers.

B.J. Upton: There has always been a sense among evaluators that Upton was capable of doing more than he's done. Still, he has hit 20-plus homers and stolen 30-plus bases and played an outstanding center field, and he's just 27 years old.

Carlos Quentin: Rival officials believe he could be the first prominent hitter dealt this summer, and he's been crushing the ball since being activated off the disabled list. But with the Padres' ownership in a state of flux, the team could look to slow-play this situation, and give the incoming owners -- whoever they turn out to be -- a chance to bid on him before he hits the market place. There are no ongoing talks, but some officials guesstimate that Quentin could be in line for a deal in the range of four years, $48 million; that could climb to
Jason Bay territory (4/60) if Quentin stays on the field and keeps hitting.

Nick Swisher: He's hitting .250, with eight homers and 35 RBIs, but typically, he has been an on-base percentage machine. Swisher is 31 years old.

Torii Hunter: He's reached the age at which he's not going to get a huge deal, but he's in great shape and is a nice alternative on a short-term deal.

Angel Pagan: He's hitting .321 this season.

Game over

Just when I thought Mets management couldn't get any worse... Maher joins the d-baggery and raises it to an entirely unprecedented level.

Put It In The Books!!!

I am almost without words. Thank you, Johan--you have lifted a terrible burden off of us all. As far as I'm concerned, you earned every single cent of your contract tonight.

RaeKwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... top 500 album of all time...

Top 500 yo, f' real

French Vanilla Butter Pecan Chocolate Deluxe

You rollin like Trump, you get your meat lumped

AK's black bust back like seventy Macs

NSFW- language.
Unless you work in the Shaolin son.

The metties....

Have a better record than the jankees. Suck it janks fans.

D. Right

Just logged onto espn.com and checked out baseball stats. Wow is wright killing it. Number one in BA and OBP by a mile. On a related note, not killing it: Jose Jose Jose.

Jets' Cromartie, wife expecting twins

Spreading his seeds...

Re: Previous Post--No Douchebags Here

As one of the biggest David Wright fans on the planet, I have to say I was utterly amazed (and thrilled) to see his reaction to being pulled from the game against the Brew Crew on Tuesday night. No one has ever questioned Wright's love for the game or willingness to play as hard as diamond--he's been borderline reckless with his health and well-being on numerous occasions that have put him on the DL in the past. But he has never displayed the fire that raged when Collins benched him to avoid David being the target of beanball retribution. Granted, I totally understan why Collins did it--Wright is the central cog and an early MVP candidate who has a penchant for getting his damn fool self busted up a few times a season on his own. So why risk him being sidelined due to some potential douchbaggery? However, this is exactly the kind of stuff Wright seems to live for--it's almost like he wanted to go out and get plunked... He was PISSED. And justifiably so. The team looks to him as a leader, on the field and off, and I give him a lot of the credit for the team's early success. He did everything right in the situation, saying he would not stand by and let someone else take a bullet meant for him, if they want to hit someone it should be him since Braun was the Brewers' victim. Not blinking when he knew what was coming and standing up for his guys. And even better, once the inital dust settled and he made his point in the dugout, Wright once again was classy. He supported Collins and did not try to subvert his authority by saying that he was pissed and did not agree with the decision but understood what his manager was doing to try to protect the team. Extend this guy's contract immediately--why are we even screwing around with it?

Where have all the douchebags gone?

With apologies to Paula Cole, they've up and left.

No Delgado, no Beltran, no Reyes, no Luis Castillo, no K-Rod, no Oliver Perez, no Sheffield.  Guys who couldn't be bothered to act like they cared, or else acted like fools or a-holes.  

Instead, we've now got a team of guys with a lot less talent and a lot more guts.  Not surprisingly, I heard on the SNY broadcast yesterday that Nickeas was saying that the guys on this team feel like have an unusually close team for the MLB level.  Everyone genuinely cares and roots for each other.  I don't find that surprising, not with young players like Murphy, Ike, Duda, Tejada, Nieuwehuis, Thole, Gee, and Niese who are not phenoms, but dedicated, hard workers.  And coachable.

Talk about addition by subtraction.  No one doubts Reyes was an irreplaceable talent, but he was a very replaceable teammate.  Without him around gathering all the attention and de facto leader status, and with Delgado and Beltran out the door, Wright is now the clear veteran leader on the club.  It suits him well.  He's off to a huge start.  And his younger teammates have a great example of a veteran who always plays to win and gives 110%.

Alderson deserves a lot of credit for putting together a bunch of pieces that are more in sum than individually, and Terry Collins has been superb.  He's got to be in the running for manager of the year at this point.  He gets his guys to bring it every day, and get over a tough loss, which isn't easy for a young team.

What happens when the guys believe in each other, and never say die?  They value every out.  Guess what that leads to?  A team that leads the NL in comeback wins, BA with 2 outs, BA with 2 outs and RISP, and 2 out runs.

Everything SHK has always loved about the Mets.

Let's be honest, based on the starting pitching and general talent level, this team can't really be counted on to challenge for a playoff spot.  But even if they were 4-under and not 4-over .500 as they are right now, I'd still say "Thank you" to Collins and Alderson for giving me baseball I can enjoy watching again.

Kings of Pain

The '94 Chargers that overachieved all the way to the SuperBowl have had more than their fair share of tragedy.

"Not again," former Chargers running back Natrone Means said to the San Diego Union-Tribune after one of the deaths in 2008. "It's crazy, just crazy, that we've had so many guys who have fallen. I can't make any sense of it. I've given up trying. You just hope you quit getting these random messages out of nowhere that another teammate has passed away."

The tragic list includes:

-- In 1995, about five months after the Chargers lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl, linebacker David Griggs died in a car crash. He was 28.

-- In May 1996, running back Rodney Culver died in a plane crash. He was 26.

-- In July 1998, linebacker Doug Miller died after being struck by lightning while camping. He was 28.

-- In May 2008, center Curtis Whitley was found dead of a drug overdose. He was 39.

-- In October 2008, defensive end Chris Mims died of complications from an enlarged heart. He was 38.

-- In February 2011, defensive tackle Shawn Lee died of a heart attack. He was 44.

-- In December, linebacker Lew Bush died of a heart attack. He was 42.

Then Wednesday, tragedy hit the team and the NFL community again when Seau was found dead in a bedroom of his Oceanside, California, home. A handgun was found near his body. He was 43.

RIP #55... a clip of JR...

Two weeks ago. #55

Let's be honest...

The Jets have totally jumped the shark. Revis threatening another holdout and saying the locker-room is in disarray. Santonio being brought back despite quitting on the team when all the chips were down. Undercutting the franchise QB for some cheap pub. Talking about trading up to the #3 pick to get a RB (never a good idea on football grounds), just to get people talking about anything but the cheap publicity (Tebow) they just bought a few weeks ago.

There is no long-term plan in place here, no disciplinary control of the team by the coach, no accountability of Rex to T, and an owner who seems to be the second coming of Steinbrenner (the bad one who could never win).

The Jets brought in a lot of talent when Rex came, added that to a solid core, scared opponents with a blitzkrieg style of D, but still needed to get better.

That will not happen under this regime. Period. In fact, chances are, they will start to get worse--quickly.

Woody's got to clean house, then remove himself from football decisions. He's a good owner from a resources standpoint, but better realize that what he's doing right now is not working, and will not work.

Add Phil Humber...

...to the list of former mets pitchers who pitched a perfect game or no hitter, just not on the mets.

.156, .211, .196

What are the averages of the 4, 5 and 6 hitters in the New York Mets lineup, Alex?

Met fans... remember Rick Ankiel???

Happy for the kid... his yips were over 12 years ago...

Break up the Mets

Or don't.  Either way I like beating Los Bravos.  If we can reel off 47 more in a row, we'll be even-Steven for the past 20 years.

Rockin' the stache

and having a superhero name. Bravo, Cal Clutterbuck:

How to choose a cigar... O/U Wins for Yanks / Mets?

I have 78 for Mets- one more than last year
I'll go a whopping 101 for Yanks on the heels of that Kentucky win... good things happen in Yankee land when Kentucky wins the National Championship!

How to choose a cigar.

Back to basics

Mets baseball!  Reviewing our spring stats thus far, Lucas Duda is killing it: .325 w/ 4 HR in 40 ABs.  Nice start.

Murph is over .300.

Ike is scrapping.  Stuck at the mendoza line with 1 HR in 45 ABs.

Jason Bay looks like he's up to his old tricks.  .229 w/ no HRs.

Justin Turner has 8 hits in 53 ABs, a sweltering .151 pace.  Looks like he should pay the role of Tim Bogar convicingly.

Who the heck is our CF?

I am SHOCKED!!!

Where is the love for Tebow-mania???

Wait...you guys aren't excited by this?

You mean this was a horrible mistake that will make what was looking like a bad season completely awful?

You think Sanchez will throw himself off the GWB after he throws his first pick of the season and the "We want Tebow" chants destroy his fragile psyche?

Hmmm...I guess you're right. This probably isn't worth getting excited about...unless you're a Fins fan--BOOYAH, SUCKERS!!!

BWAHHAHAHAHAHA!
P.S.--What's the over under until Cromartie tries to shank Tebow in the locker room? I give it 6 days into training camp...

One of my favorite YouCon moments

As if you needed another reason to root for Duke,

try this one on for size:  Obama roots for the Holes, and dislikes Duke.  From Mike Corey's blog, The Devil's Advocate:

Q: Obama filled out his tournament bracket with Andy Katz again this week, and once again picked UNC to win at all and chose Duke to lose earlier than we Duke fans might have hoped. As a longtime political writer, why do you think Obama–and politicians generally–engage sports like this? How successful do you think it is from a political perspective? And with Obama, how genuine do you think it is–or how genuinely does it come across to voters? 

Harwood: Obviously basketball has been really important in Obama’s life and still is. So no doubt he enjoys it (with help from Reggie Love, as you know). But showing that enjoyment is a good way for politicians to connect with voters on a personal level on topic THEY really care about. BTW, I interviewed Obama very soon after Duke won the 2010 championship. I asked him for a congratulatory high-five and he pulled his hand back at the last second. He later sent the WH photo of that moment with the inscription: “I rarely high-five Duke people.”

Bold is my emphasis.

Fab Melo out for 'Cuse

per the interwebs, their star frosh sophomore (my how the time flies) C will not be able to play in the NCAAs due to eligibility problems. For the record, I had them losing in the second round WITH Melo.

NCAA Tourney

Weird year this year.  With the exception of Kentucky, lots of parity.

UK seems head-and-shoulders above the field, much like Duke 99 or Houston 83 (two teams, incidentally, that failed to win the natty).   Will UK fulfill Calipari's NC dream this year, at least temporarily?  Looks to me like U Conn and Baylor are the toughest teams in their way, at least until the final game.  The odds seem ever in their favor.

Meanwhile, the continued exodus of NBA talent from high major programs (except at Carolina) seems to have caught up with a lot of schools: parity is the word.  After Butler making two final games in a row, and VCU And George Mason going to the FF in recent years, I do not have a hard time believing that  schools like Xavier, New Mexico, UNLV, St. Mary's or Gonzaga could make a deep run.  Or that teams like Belmont, Harvard, or Davidson could win a game or two.   You cannot convince me that, say, Cincinnati is head-and-shoulders above San Diego St.  Just b/c Cinci plays in a high major gives them little.  I'm not convinced the level of play in Big East (after 'Cuse), ACC (after UNC), or B10 was much better than the Missouri Valley, A10, or Mountain West this year.

Anyhow, I hate to admit it, but this is the first year I haven't had Duke in the winner circle on my bracket.  I've always felt like they had a chance, even in the "down" years (by Duke standards).  This year, I don't see any chance.  Getting by X or ND is just a 50-50 proposition, and this team will not beat Baylor.  No chance.  Only way Duke gets to a FF is if UNLV takes out Baylor AND Conn takes out UK.  Slim, slim, odds--basically zero.

So who do I like this year?

I like the South bracket.  UK is the prohibitive favorite, IMO, and their loss to Vandy in the SEC tourney final was probably the last piece of the puzzle they needed.  Their young arrogant team may now have just enough incentive to listen to Cal and avoid getting sandbagged on the road to N'Awlins.

If it's not UK, I like Baylor second best to win the tournament.  That regional final could be an epic game.

Out of the West, I'm pretty chalk.  While Mich St. is probably not a 1-seed most years, they have Izzo, and that's usually worth 2 tourney wins on its own. And their region is pretty soft.  I like Mich St. to win the region, but Mizzou and 7-seed Florida are real threats as well.  I like 13-seed Davidson as the lowest seed to make the Sweet 16.

The East will be a bracket buster, IMO.  I like 8-see Kansas St. to take out 'Cuse early (again).  I'm going with Wisky in round 1 but Montana could upset them.   I like FSU to make the regional final in the bottom half of the bracket, and I like Vandy in the top half of the bracket.   I'll defer on picking the winner--get back to me if the game materializes.

UNC drew an absolute cakewalk through 3 rounds in the Midwest.  I could easily see Creighton beating Bama (score another one for mid-majors), and Temple getting past Cal or USF.  A second round Temple-Michigan game would be one to watch.  Ultimately irrelevant, as neither team can get past UNC (assuming Henson plays).  In the bottom half of the bracket, G'Town looks good for another early departure (doubt they'll see S16), and Kansas should roll into the Regional Final as well.  UNC-Kansas, in St. Louis, should be the other epic regional final (along w/ Baylor-UK), and I like Kansas to win.  They have the size to neutralize Zeller, and the better coach.

So my FF picks: UK, MSU, Vandy/FSU, Kansas.

Best chance to make FF from each power conference:

ACC: UNC
Big East: Marquette ('Cuse got a murderous draw)
SEC: UK (not an easy draw, but they can handle it)
B10: Mich State
B12: Mizzou (like their odds slightly better than KU at making FF b/c of the weak West regional; even though I've got KU and not Mizzou getting to FF)
PAC 12:   Whatever team can scream "Noonan" in unison.

If you've got any ideas how the PAC 12 could improve their odds, please let me knwo.

Harkless entering the NBA Draft

Money based decision, obviously.  Still, I think this kid is doing himself a disservice.  You have 3 years to show you deserve a big second contract.   Mo is going to need to add a lot of muscle to succeed at the next level.    Hope it works out for the kid, but I think he's making a mistake.

Johnnies / ND

Nice win for the Johnnies, dropping 2nd place Notre Dame into 3rd in the Big East.  This team has a good bit of young talent.  It's a shame that Lavin got sick, b/c I would've liked to see what he could've done with a whole season to teach these guys and bring them along.  I guess the bigger news is that he's doing well, and God willing, will be back full-time next season.

Great News!

It'll all be O.K., Mets Fans.  See below:

“

They shouldn't be concerned about us owning the franchise, because we intend to own the franchise for a very long time. Whether they're happy about that right now or not, I don't know.

”-- Fred Wilpon on his team's fans

Gary Carter, RIP

A true Mets great and a champion.

If I had to pick an '86 Met that was going to die young, it hardly would've been the clean living Mr. Carter.  What cruel irony.

You will be missed, Gary.

Johnnies @ GTown today

Let's go Storm.

Linsanity

OK, so this kid actually has me interested in the NBA for the first time in years. Read his backstory here. If you can't root for this kid, there's something wrong with you. Schooled on fundamentals. Drilled himself silly. Immensely skilled, but unlike most such players growing up nowadays, he worked hard to hone that skill into something remarkable. Almost didn't get a chance (and let's face it, race prolly had something to do with that). Gets his chance. Kills it. And remains team-first to the core. This morning I actually checked the paper to see when the next Knick game is.

DUKE STUDENTS GOING WILD AFTER UNC BUZZER BEATER

I miss these days: If you'd like to see the polar opposite reaction, check out this link at around the 2:15 mark.

Austin Rivers Game Winning Buzzer Beater - Duke Beats Carolina

OK, it's official

Rex and Mr. T have officially jumped the shark.  They obviously do not want Sanchez to succeed.  Meh.

Gronk doing the Shockey....

At the 55second mark he busts out with the Roethlisberger! What a tool. They just lost the Super Bowl right?

Superbowl scores

I've got Big Blue, 27-23.

Namath on Sanchez

Good 'ole Broadway Joe.  Granted, he hasn't exactly been winning Rex's "favorite guy award" the last 12 months, but Namath's criticism has been pretty much on point.

Here's part of what he had to say about Sanchez, which I also think is pretty much on point:

Saturday at noon!

Showdown time!

Of course, by showdown, I mean a thorough ass-kicking of the Johnnies. Hopefully they can keep it within 20 or so to avoid total humiliation.

C'mon Ravens

So far Ravens D has done its job, if only the offense could step up. 3-3 right now. I'd imagine Ravens will need at least 24 to win, possibly more than 30. For some reason teams find it tough to keep Pats below 30. Which is strange, because at the end of the day when you strip it down to basics, all they have is Gronkowski and Welker. Their RBs are not standout, Deion Branch is 37 years old, and while Hernandez is good he's not the matchup nightmare that Gronk is.

Tomlinson on this season

A great interview, with some very telling quotes from a guy who's been around, y'know?

Tomlinson said quarterback Mark Sanchez and wide receiver Santonio Holmes, in particular, had a rocky relationship. “It is as bad as I’ve ever been around, honestly,” Tomlinson said of the locker room. “And I’ve been around some locker rooms and quarterback-receiver situations and what-not. But it was as bad as I’ve been around.”

This is the type of football team that they wanted,” said Tomlinson, the NFL’s fifth-leading rusher. “Mike Tannenbaum, Rex Ryan are both brash, in-your-face type of style—say whatever you want, just get it done on the field. And then it leads to other things, as guys are calling each other out and saying, `I’m not getting the ball’ or whatever it may be.”

Tomlinson was asked if he would bring back both Sanchez and Holmes, given all the problems. “Whew, that is a tough one...”

OK, so I can read between the lines there. LT's take on Holmes?

“In all seriousness, Santonio, obviously, he is a great player,” Tomlinson said. “There are some things that obviously he needs to work on as far as being a leader.”

His take on Sanchez?

“He is not a lazy guy,” Tomlinson said. “He puts in the time after practice in the film room. He can get it done. He just has to have pieces around him to help him get it done.”

Playing for Rex?

“I love playing for Rex,” Tomlinson said before adding that he wished the coach would tune down the bravado.

“I don’t mind every now and again saying we are going to win a championship,” he said. “Maybe at the beginning of the year just saying, `Hey, our goal is to win a championship.’ But at the same time every week if you are calling out a team on certain things, I think it puts a little extra on your team. Guys really want to go out there and say, `Let’s shut this guy up. Let’s shut these Jets up, just end their season.”

In retrospect... (re Mark Sanchez)

Would Jet fans rather have not made that trade (1st, 2nd, 3 players) to move up and draft Sanchez and instead draft Josh Freeman at the 17 pick (coincidentally TB got that pick, the Jets' from Cleveland.)

Take into account Sanchez unheralded 4 road playoff wins and Freeman's great first full season and subsequent "sophomore" slump in his 2nd full season. Would love to hear thoughts. As a football fan I believe Josh Freeman has the brighter future and has yet to pose shirtless, in skinny jeans for GQ... so he clearly has my vote.

Ding dong, the Schott is gone

While I was never as rabidly anti-Schott as a lot of the jets fan base, I was also strongly in the camp that didn't care for all his fancy play calling and thought he was holding back our offense. IMO he had to go, and possibly so does Sanchez. I'm willing to give Sanchez one more season under a new coordinator and system, but to say he's on thin ice is an understatement,

In any case I look forward to a more straightforward offense next season that undertands our strengths and plays to them.

I also hope that tannenbaum and co. have learned their lesson that you can't just swap out that many pieces, especially solid locker room guys, and expect a cohesive team. They failed to observe the greatest lesson from belisuck - you don't need the best players at every position, but you DO need a team that is smart and plays together as a well-oiled machine. In contrast, the three ring circus that is the jets continues to be dragged out in the public spotlight.

After the progress in 2009 and 2010, last season was a real kick in the sack.

F-Mart has been closed for business

Well, there goes another classic Mets 5-tool prospect.

Fernando Martinez has been waived.

Unfortunately, this time they weren't able to trade him before his imminent failure as a major leaguer (unlike Alex Ochoa or Alex Escobar...).

Cotchery

Watching that TD catch by Cotchery I can't help but think we dodged a bullet there. Luckily we got rid of him...who needs solid receivers who have tremendous character and play through fierce injuries for you? That's certainly not the jets way, and not the type of locker room we're looking to build.

Close one indeed.

Should T be fired?

At this point I'd say no--he's primarily a capologist, and just one member on the team that makes personnel decisions. Keep in mind, T was just as involved in going out and getting the high character guys that Mangini wanted, as the, er, talent-at-any-price guys that Rex has coveted.

Guys that Tannenbaum drafted or brough in as undrafted FAs working with Mangini:

Where there's smoke, there's fire

Leave it to the wide-eyed college kid, the one who knows something about winning after his team took home a BCS championship at 'Bama, to see things as they are and lay it out there:

Another example of Rex culture in action

From ESPN NY:

 Cornerback Antonio Cromartie, asked if the New York Jets gave full effort in Sunday’s season-ending 19-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins, took a thinly veiled swat at the offense.

“Maybe on one side of the ball,” Cromartie said

I just can't believe this is true

Are the Jets serious about bringing Santonio back next year?

A sampling of quotes:

The Jets had a Defensive Coordinator?

Bang up job, sir. What does it take to not get promoted in this league?

Per the NY Post, Schott will not be fired

Link.  He will be interviewing for some HC jobs (Jacksonville is mentioned), and if hired, would necessitate a replacement.  If Tannenbaum thinks Schott is doing a good job, one must assume there are going to be some players shipped out of town.  I'd have to think Santonio will go.  Who else?

I don't know if it's just me, but I really hope LT re-ups at a reduced salary as a 3rd down back.  He was extremely effective in that role this year, and is clearly a good guy in the locker room.

Also, if this is true that Tannenbaum wants Schott back, where did this come from?

Jets done with Holmes?

I sure hope so, after reading this article.  I guess with Tomlinson's career likely over, he's not afraid to go on the record.   But it's telling that at least one other player corroborated Tomlinson's opinion.  From the article:

Post Mortem on the Jets Season

Michael Vaccaro did a nice job cataloging the failures of this year's edition of Gang Green. And, IMO, he ultimately places the blame in the right place:

D.C., SHK, and Raekwon: Need comments

Interested in your opinion on this post from last week.

Schott

Could be end of the road for Schott...

One more 'attaboy

Mentioned D Hurley earlier, and an attaboy needs to go out to Tom Crean.  He took over an IU program that, by all rights, should be a national power, but had spent the better part of a decade mired in misery and saddled with sanctions.

But Crean, who is by all accounts a good guy who likes to play "straight up" (as Teddy KGB might say), has righted the ship just when they were starting to run out of patience in Bloomington.  He's beaten #1 Kentucky and #2 OSU this year.

Nice to see good guys #winning.

More on the ACC downturn

Ivies have been giving it to the ACC this year:

Harvard 67, Boston College 46 (@ BC)
Wake Forest 72, Yale 71 (@WFU)
Princeton 75, FSU 73 3OT (@FSU)

and some other notable results of the past week:

Hawaii 75 Clemson 68 (@ Hawaii)
Fordham 72, G Tech 66 (@ Fordham)

with Penn v Duke coming up today.  O boy, I hope K had a tight curfew on the boys last night.  The Ivies will probably vault the ACC in RPI if Penn wins today.

Hurley brothers doing work

Seton Hall alumnus Danny Hurley took over at little Wagner College on S.I.  a couple of years ago.  The Seahawks were coming off something like a 6-22 season or some such sewage.

Danny hired his brother Bobby (whose Devil 11 stables had just flamed out in bankruptcy) as an assistant,  and the results have been nothing short of amazing.

They beat Pitt at Pitt a couple of weeks ago, and now this @ Santa Clara.  What a crazy ending:

Link

The Seahawks have beaten teams from the Big East, West Coast Conference, Mountain West, Colonial, Ivy, Patriot and MEAC.

“We are a good road team because we defend and play hard,” Hurley said.

Good on Danny, who had some real difficulties at the end of his playing career, IIRC. Growing up in Bobby's shadow, with an inspirational but incredibly type-A dad (who was recently inducted into the basketball HOF, BTW), I believe he had some battles with depression.  It looks like he's found his place and a role that really works for him.