Nice test for the Johnnies tonight

On the road v. a ranked Arizona squad. Of whom my last memories are not pleasant.

Let's go Storm!

Andre Dawkins: You Made the Right Call

From ESPN:

Duke looked tight early against Michigan State, perhaps too aware of the moment.

"Coach told us it was just a normal game, but you know it's hard not to think about it. You want to be part of the team that does it,'' guard Andre Dawkins said. "Then last night, coach Knight came to the hotel to talk to us. He said if we didn't win, he was going to run practice for the next two days, so that's why I decided to go out and score some points.''

Happy birthday Doctor K

DocGooden16 Dwight Gooden

Happy Birthday 2 me,I am celebrating my day with a NA meeting,bible study & Peter Lugers steak house,thank u all for the bday wishes!

Reyes lands huge offer from Marlins

It looks to me like we've been priced out of the Reyes sweepstakes before the bidding has really started in earnest.

Draft picks here we come!

Jose Reyes "No Hay Amigo"

ICYMI: the post by (new contributor) Raekwon the Chef on OccObs, Jose has a video out. Literally translated, "there is no friend," idiomatically, I'm sure it's "there are no friends." Here's looking at you, Fred, Jeff and Sandy.

A tidbit on Sanchez

from Vaccaro in the NYP:

There was some bad, more good, nothing that inspires images of the young Otto Graham just yet but more than enough to remind you that Sanchez has now won 28 games in 2 1/2 years as the starting quarterback for the Jets, and if you’d like a point of comparison, here’s one: That’s five more than team watchdog Joe Namath had in his final seven years as a Jet.

I think Sanchez hasn't taken the step forward I was hoping for so far this year. That said, the return to a run-first offense benefits him in many ways, including taking defenders out of the secondary, and allowing him to use his excellent play-action skills more effectively. Hopefully the second half of the year will prove better than the first half for him.

Still, for all the criticism, there's no denying the wins.

Back to our Raison d'Etre

Mets baseball!

Story here on changes to the dimensions at CitiField. They'll be pulling in the fences in left and the Modell's corner in right-center. Clearly the team wants a park that is marginally friendlier to hitters (still will be a pitcher's park, IMO), but as Sandy said, this will make for a park that is "more balanced."

Jason Bay definitely has the line of the article, though:

“I think cutting down the space in the outfield will help improve the defense, which in turn should help the pitching”

Allow me to paraphrase: "Since I'm too slow to chase long fly balls, the pitcher will be freed of the frustration of watching balls bounce over my head. Now they can just fly over the fence."

A (brief) reprieve

Apparently, WVU's exodus from the Big East has been slowed down.

Not because they don't want to bolt. Because U.S. Senators (McConnell/Manchin/Rockefeller) are now lobbying hard for their home state teams to get the first plane off the island.

Apparently McConnell pulled strings to get the Big 12 to reconsider Louisville as the primary expansion candidate, before WVU. Now that politics are involved, goodness knows how it will end...

Renaming ideas for conferences

Big 10: Big North

Big 12: Coal, Oil and Crops; or, the Commodity Conference (ComCon for short)

Big East: Big Everywhere

Pac 12: Big West

Big West: Pac 9

SEC: SEC

ACC: ACC

Bad news, worse news for SHK

Bad: Big East disintegrating.

Worse: He still looks the same.

Good news, bad news for DC

Bad: WVU is fleeing the Big East for Big 12(-ish). The scythe has been well sharpened for the B.E. as a meaningful football league.

Good: Fins grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory against Tebow, keeping them in the pole position of the Suck For Luck sweepstakes.

Fins v Jets

Our semi-annual board throw-down.

As a Jets fan, it takes me back to the glory days, when the Jets would take on the role of pugnacious second fiddle, out for respect against a legendary coach and the perennial division winners.




Wait a second...

Don't Call it a Comeback

The Big East, unwilling to do the smart thing and just call off football, and reconstitute as an elite 8-team B-Ball conference, has handed out 5 new invites to "football" schools.

So, ladies and germs, here are your new, distinguished Big East members (should they choose to accept):

-Central Florida
-Houston
-SMU
-Air Force (football only)
-Boise State (football only)

No, people. I'm serious.

Brandon Moore Throws Back at Santonio

Well, Holmes continues to underwhelm in his role as a team captain, calling out the O-line publicly for the 2nd time. Only this time Brandon Moore isn't taking it. When a veteran leader like Moore is telling you to shut your mouth, shut your mouth.

Some footage from the archive

SHK goes from hard-core rooting to misery-drowning, after the Jets lose to the Oilers in a "win-and-your-in" game, ending their season:

When it all went bad

A great article from ESPN NY that talks about how the Jets muffed their OL when they cut Damien Woody back in March. It also points out how Rob Turner's injury--a broken leg in a preseason game that most have forgotten--deprived the team of its only sound backup OL.

As a result, Wayne Hunter has been exposed as a good backup, but a not-ready-for-prime-time performer; and in any game, the OL is one turned ankle away from being as porous as swiss cheese.

I will say that the article gives Woody a bit of a pass--he could have kept himself in game shape. I don't necessarily buy that he would have stayed on the stick had the Jets not cut him. But it certainly didn't help.

Finally, the article hits on one of the most important angles of this Woody situation: character. It talks about how Woody was always accountable. It doesn't make the point (but I will) that he was one of several leaders the Jets jettisoned this past offseason.

Cotchery, Smith, Woody, Jason Taylor. Look at what these guys have done on the field this year with their new teams: just about nothing. But look at who the Jets replaced these guys with: Derrick Mason (prima donna, now traded), Kerley (rookie, hence no leadership), no one, and Maybin (draft bust just trying to find his way).

What this team doesn't have right now is the player leadership that keeps guys accountable and working hard. Rex is not a crack-the-whip coach (to put it mildly). That player leadership is more important than under, say, a Tom Coughlin or Bill Parcells. The punks and loudmouths don't have the old pros around anymore keeping them honest. The result? 2-3.

The Yankees Lose--THUHUHUHUHUH...YANKEES...LOSE!!!

Hard to believe I'm actually saying this but, Yay Detroit!

Now if only St. Louis can knock off the Phils all will be good in the baseball world...

Jets-Pats

Jets are going to use the upcoming game against the Pats to begin their reversion to ground and pound, re-emphasizing the running game.

I agree that the unbalanced focus on passing has not worked out great so far. That said, this is not the game to go away from the pass. The Pats weakest link on D is their secondary. They are #32 - dead last - in the NFL in passing defense. Their secondary was weak last year, and it's still weak this year.

The best way to beat the Pats is to make sure you stretch the field with several vertical plays to Plax. If you do that, you'll have your best shot of a mismatch. I hope the Jets remember to work several deep plays in during the game.

Pats D captain and key LB Mayo is out for several weeks, which is good. He's their playcaller and this will cause them some issues. (Although expect a Belicheat-coached team to quickly overcome this issue.)

Finally, Jets need to accept that the Wayne Hunter experiment has failed miserably. Without Woody and Mangold we're not running on anyone.

Reyes

is a candy-ass b*tch.

Can't wait for him to sign somewhere else and get the hell off our island.

What a shame that Cleon, Mex, Wally, Nails, or Johnny Slow Balls never won a batting title first, so that Josie wouldn't have to be remembered forever as the answer to some key Mets trivia.

Congrats on winning your batting title, Josie. And doing it as a coward and a pussy. Ted Williams is giggling his ass off at your girlie "take me out in the first inning" bullshit.

Jose, Jose, Jose. This guy saved his best for his walk year. A meaningless year for the team from a W's and L's perspective, a year where there was no chance of competing for championship. He saved his best for getting himself paid. And I'm sure he'll be taking the best offer--no hometown discount here.

Why couldn't he have brought this kinds of focus to the table in '06, '07, or '08, when it might have helped the Mets win one or more titles? Back in the glory days, when Jose was too busy uppercutting and free swinging his way to an OBP that was .005 higher than his BA. When he was more interested in practicing his on the field pat-a-cake routine with Delgado and Beltran than playing baseball. When he wanted to engage in a knifefight with his gangster manager instead of taking his manager's damn instructions.

No, this clown has been given a free pass, even adored, by many Mets fans because he's "home grown." F*ck that. He's got a great smile, great wheels, and lots of talent. And until now, hasn't been able to leverage them.

His career will have a short shelf life, and he's no doubt at his peak right now. His wheels won't last long. He's injury prone, and strikes me as the kind of player who'll sit out a few extra games rather than rush to get back in the lineup. He'll probably average 90 games a year for the remainder of his career. Whether that's 4 or 7 years, who knows?

What I do know is that some team is going to have to sign him for too much money and too many years, and I'm going to have fun laughing at the sucker who does it. Even if they squeeze two more good years out of him, he'll still be the same old cancer clubhouse. Rallying the opposition. Ducking the media. Douching between innings.

I look forward to seeing what Sandy can do with the compensatory picks.

Tough stretch

The Jets have a real tough stretch coming up here:
@ Bal
@ NE
Mia
SD
@ Buf
NE

They will need to go 4-2 through this stretch if they want to put themselves in good position to make the playoffs. The loss to Oaktown forces them to pick up a tough win somewhere else in the schedule, probably in this stretch. I'm just not sure what to expect. D has been suspect, Cro and Kyle W look lost, and Mangold's injury doesn't help O. Glad to see they did more power tosses to Greene in last game; I was getting tired of every run being a draw up the middle in first two games.

In the Bunker with John Marinatto

Big East (football) presidents acting like 28 days later...

Trapped in a building and trying to get the eff out.

Villanova has applied for ACC membership.

U Conn is begging to get in the ACC.

W Va makes a pitch to join the SEC.

Rutgers is deciding between the Big10 and ACC.

10 total programs (is ND among them?) have already reached out to the ACC, which is inclusive of Syracuse, Pitt, and some of the schools above.

Remember, the schools that run the slowest are just man meat for the zombies.

Next up: the Big 3

Of course, there are still many big shoes left to drop, namely Pac12/SEC/Big 10 expansion.

PAC-12 is going to get first dibs, with the richest football contract from a TV revenue standpoint.  OK and OK St are going there, and we're going to get that news soon.  How do they get to 16?  That is the big question.   Texas would be the big win for the conference, and they were interested last go-around.  But now that they have their own TV network up and running (Longhorn Network), they're not willing to go equal splits, and I think that's a PAC-12 requirement.  Texas Tech, Kansas, K St., Mizzou, UNLV, Nevada, Boise St. would all be possibles.  

The SEC and Big 10 could look to feast on the carcass of the Big 12 (Kansas, Mizzou, K St., Iowa St., TTU, Baylor) after the PAC-12 has gotten its fill.  Or they could turn east.  If they turn east, the SEC will almost certainly be targeting ACC schools.  The SEC is clearly the major leagues of college football--will that tempt NC St., Virginia Tech or Maryland?  Possibly so.

And if the Big 10 looks East, with their money making TV network, they could probably throw some more dollars at schools like W Va, Maryland, Louisville, Cincinnati, or BC than they're getting now.

If the ACC were to lose 2-3 schools, they could quickly fill the void with schools like WVA, Temple, USF, which would maintain their regional integrity.

And as an aside, it's interesting that ND may finally not be able to stand pat as an independent.  If we're going to 4 conferences of 16 teams, and membership in a superconference is the only way to be included in the FBS playoff system, then ND may have to choose.  I'm sure Big 10 would be the most likely. 

And the hits keep on coming.

From ESPN:

If the two schools [Syracuse and Pitt] are to join the ACC, Krzyzewski doesn't want the conference to stop at 14 teams. He said he'd like to see 16 teams, taking two more schools that have comparable rich basketball traditions and are in the Eastern time zone. An ACC official told USA Today that Connecticut and Rutgers would be the candidates.

Pay that man his money.

For IDK how long, I've tried convincing you degenerate bastards that the ACC is the superior league to the Big East. I understand that you all have a bunch of sentimental strings clouding your judgment and preventing you from seeing the truth, but today has to smart. It was bad enough when BC and VT left for the ACC. One was a BE charter member, the other their strongest football program. But now, with 'Cuse and Pitt joining the ACC, there's a real question as to whether the Big East will even survive as a football conference.

And even if the league manages to survive (by adding directional schools (ECU/CFU) or geographical misfits (TCU/KU/Mizzou)), it seems likely they will lose their automatic BCS berth.

 Worse to come, the Big 10 is likely to come calling for WVU or Conn. There's also a real chance the Big 10 could raid the ACC for Maryland or BC, but in that case, it will still suck for the Big East, b/c the ACC will just take 2-4 more programs out of the Big East to fill the void.

I have to point out, I think the B.E. will persist as a good basketball league.  The teams with good bball programs and non-affiliated FBS programs (SJU, GTown, Providence, DePaul, ND, Seton Hall, 'Nova, Marquette) would still make a great standalone bball league.  But it's going to be a niche bball league if it comes to that.

Fans of the B.E. (read: you all) may like the league, but those on the inside (like ADs) know where the quality is. And that's why, out of the 4 B.E. programs the ACC has offered membership to, all 4 have accepted. It hurts. Doesn't it.

You've GOT to be kidding me

Well, this is not good news for the Johnnies. Three of their top recruits have been ruled academically ineligible, at least for the fall semester. Not a good start to the Lavin class.

FOOTBALL!!!

Thank you, baby Jesus!

After this summer of "baseball," the NFL couldn't start soon enough...

Mad Props

Congrats to Chris Capuano for giving Mets fans something positive to remember from this season.

Friday night he pitched one of the best games in Mets history: CG shutout, 2 hits, 0 BB, 13 K's, on 122 pitches. Only one man reached 2nd base--on a 2 out double.

Capuano adds his name to the list of great performances: Seaver's 19 K game against the Padres, Bobby Jones's (the white one) Game 4 one-hitter against the Giants in 2000, and Aaron Heilman's imperfect perfect game against the Marlins (leadoff hit, runner erased on double play, perfect from there on).

A tip of the hat to you sir--welcome to the club...which mostly consists of guys that make most fans say "Who?"

Hallooooooo....

Wow.

Such a large room and it's so empty...every sound seems to echo for days...

Actually, I just got really sick and tired of a post about Jeter being at the top of a Mets page.

That is all.

Jeter

5-for-5. Really?

Remember Carter trying to get to 300 HRs? This was the polar opposite.

Listen, I'll always hate the Jankees, but let's face it, this guy has been a HOF player. A real professional. #Props.