Welcome to another addition of Jeremy's Weekly Worm! In the coming weeks I will have the very first audio addition of Jeremy's Weekly Worm via podcast so keep a lookout for that. Gotta a lot to get into, so lets dig in!
The METS
We start on the lowly Mets who just finished their post all-star break road trip with a dismal 2-9 record scoring about 7 runs during the entire break. Ok maybe not 7 runs, but anyone who followed the series knows exactly what I am talking about. The Mets' bats just disappeared on this road trip and they got lucky in one game, which allowed them 2 wins when it should have been 1. Jason Bay cannot hit a beach ball right now, David Wright has hit a slump and everyone else seems to have an oblique injury. The return of Carlos Beltran has provided nothing to this team as he himself has done absolutely squat since coming back.
It's time to face the music in that this organization needs a major over-haul in both management and players. Mets fans who are frustrated and barking for a trade, please stop. This team needs to hang onto every young asset it has for the future because this ball club needs some new blood. There is no move that will make this team better right now. Don't tell me about Roy Oswalt, the team can't hit!!! They have been getting stellar pitching from Santanna and Dickey with nothing to show for it. Helping the bullpen won't do much unless you can get KRod outta there and replace him with a closer who can make batters swing and miss. And if you try to add a bat, at what position do you add? Jason Werth doesn't work for two reason, 1, the Mets are already trying to rid themselves of Jeff Francouer and 2, I doubt that the Phillies would trade him to a rival. As far as the infield goes, 3 of the 4 spots are occupied for the long-term and the other spot, 2nd base is occupied by a guy that no one wants. Not to mention that even if someone would take Castillo, who is available that is a significant upgrade at 2nd base? Same goes for catcher.
And for those fans looking beyond this season and hoping the Mets throw millions upon millions for Bobby Valentine to come back, no way I see him taking this job. For one, if Minaya is still GM, why would any good manager want to have this guy as their GM? Look at what he did to Willie Randolph and look at the moves he has made during his time there. Why go to a losing franchise with an idiot GM when there are much more desirable jobs out there? The Braves, Marlins, Orioles and Cubs jobs are all more attractive than the Mets. Very sad, but very true.
Speaking of sad, the saddest thing about the Mets is that they have wasted some of the prime years of the career of Johan Santanna. Since he has been with the Mets Santanna has lost out on the opportunity for so many wins that he still has not hit 150 mark. He is only 31, but I believe that he has lost any chance for 300 wins.
The YANKEES
After being carried by the starting pitching in the first half of the season, the Yankee bats have finally woken up, scoring at least 10 runs in 3 of the last 5 games or so. And it could not have come at a better time. Andy Pettite is on the DL, A.J. Burnett continues to beat himself, Hughes seems to be hitting a wall because it's the first time he's pitched this much in the Majors and Vasquez is still no sure thing.
And what is also definately not a sure thing is the bullpen. While Robertson has come around nicely since his terrible start, Joba is having major issues with control. Had a good 1-2-3 yesterday only after giving up a walk and a homerun. Boone Logan did a good job yesterday as well but getting a reliable arm via trade has to be a priority. The starting pitching can tread water until Pettite gets back because of the bats being hot right now, but the bullpen will need to be upgraded for the post-season run.
Mark Teixeira has reached base in 41 straight games, since June 8th, he has rasied his average from low .200's to .264. The Captain has also been on a nice little tear bringing his average to respectability, but still not near his career average. Cano continues his fine season. Granderson hit 2 homers yesterday and it would be nice to see him finish the season strong. And although A-Rod has been stuck on 599 for a few days, he has not slumped as he hit the 80 RBI mark yesterday.
The KNICKS
Well it looks as though Chris Paul is not going anywhere from the reports that I have read on espn.com. And Knicks fans I would not be too upset about this, and in fact, I am elated at this outocome and I will tell you why. For one, I am still holding out on the possibility that Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony want to team up with Amare Stoudemire here in NY. And as of right now with Chris Paul not being traded away from the Hornets, as long as Melo does not sign that extension with Denver, that possibility is there.
Chris Paul staying put allows the Knicks to go into this season with what they have right now, which is a young, athletic and talented team. I want to see what Felton, Gallo, Randoplph, Stoudemire and Chandler can do as a team. This way, should Melo not sign, the Nuggets would have to give serious consideration to trading him at the deadline so they do not have to go through what the Cavs just did. Randolph, Chandler and some expiring contracts would be a very nice package.
And even if there is no deadline trade for Melo, with Eddie Curry finally coming off the books, we will be under the cap once again next summer. Perhaps with one year left on his deal Chris Paul could then force his way out of New Orleans, and the Knicks could put together a package or Randolph, Chandler, Gallo, and maybe Toney Douglas.
To me Chris Paul remaining a Hornet was the best situation for the Knicks. Thid will now give them a chance to develop some of these young players into a team, or to use them as trade bait for the Summer of '11. Or as I now think it will be, the "Summer of the Knicks."
That's all for today folks. Stay tuned as later this week I will have my training camp previews for both the Jets and Giants.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
JEREMY'S WEEKLY WORM - Week of 7/19/10
Welcome to another addition of Jeremy's Weekly Worm as I wiggle in and out of the hot topics in NY Sports today as well as the sports world in general.
We start with the Yankees who have had a turbulent 8 days that started with the passing of Bob Sheppard, the former "Voice of Yankee Stadium" followed the passing of "The Boss" the day after. I'm sure that the Yankees were filled with mixed emotions as they opened up a three game set against the second-place Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, a game that I was fortunate enough to attend in person. Before that game the Yankees honored both men with a ceremony that included a moment of silence as well as Mariano Rivera laying two long stemmed roses across homeplate. Very touching moment.
That night Nick Swisher honored both men baseball style in walk-off fashion with 2 outs and 2 one in the bottom of the ninth. Will go down as one the most memorable nights in Yankees history. And although the Yankees took the series from the Rays, it was still a down weekend as the Yanks lost Andy Pettite to a groin injury and the speculation is that he will miss up to five weeks. This is a huge blow to the Yankees especially when Phil Hughes is going to be dispatched to the bullpen likely by early September and A.J. "Bonehead" Burnett keeps injury his pitching hand by slapping walls a la Kevin Brown.
According to the team, Sergio Mitre who is due off the DL at week's end will take Pettite's rotation spot. This to me means that Brian Cashman must make a deal for bullpen help. Going forward you cannot expect more than 5-6 innings per outing from Mitre, and with Hughes' innings limitations, the bullpen will have to eat up innings during those starts. I would make a move for a reliever before I go for a starter. The Yankee bats seem to be heating up and that should take some burden off of the pitching staff. With the trade deadline roughly 13 days away, Cashman will not stand pat.
In another news the New York Mets barely avoided a sweep at the hands of the Giants last night due to a bad call by the homeplate umpire. K-Rod with yet another blown save, but still got the win. Carlos Beltran returned to the Mets' lineup on Friday and went 1-4. Tonight with Reyes and Castillo back in the lineup, the Mets will have their complete lineup together for the first time this season. Although it won't help if their bats don't support the strong outings by their starter's, or if the bullpen continues to blow leads, or unless the Braves start losing, which isn't likely.
In addition the Mets simply have to play better on the road. They started this post All-Star break with an 11-game road trip in which they have now started 1-3, which one call should have made it 0-4. Hopefully, the mental satisfaction of having their entire team will provide them with a spark. That, plus they now have a three game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks which should help the even out that road trip record.
From the NBA:
Dwayne Wade made a stupid comment with regard to the Miami losing a couple of games in a row, that fans will treat it like the World Trade Center coming down again. What an idiot. No matter how much I try to like what these 3 guys have done, it seems eveyday one of them is doing, or saying something that makes you hate them more.
And speaking of the Miami Heat trio, the Great One Michael Jordan offered his comments on the unification of the three best free agents in the Summer of 2010 landing together. This according to espn.com:
"There's no way, with hindsight, I would've ever called up Larry, called up Magic and said, 'Hey, look, let's get together and play on one team,' " Jordan said after playing in a celebrity golf tournament in Nevada. "But that's ... things are different. I can't say that's a bad thing. It's an opportunity these kids have today. In all honesty, I was trying to beat those guys."
Well said MJ. I can't get anymore into this LeBron stuff until the NBA season starts. We have to see how it plays out.
Tiger Woods lost another major yesterday finishing well behind. Watching some of the highlights, the guy does not look to be in the right place mentally. He needs to take a few months and get away from golf, the media and just out of the public eye in general. I think it will do him some good.
Well that's all for this addition of the Jeremy's Weekly Worm. Stay tuned for next week's addition as I preview the Jets and Giants as they open up training camps.
We start with the Yankees who have had a turbulent 8 days that started with the passing of Bob Sheppard, the former "Voice of Yankee Stadium" followed the passing of "The Boss" the day after. I'm sure that the Yankees were filled with mixed emotions as they opened up a three game set against the second-place Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, a game that I was fortunate enough to attend in person. Before that game the Yankees honored both men with a ceremony that included a moment of silence as well as Mariano Rivera laying two long stemmed roses across homeplate. Very touching moment.
That night Nick Swisher honored both men baseball style in walk-off fashion with 2 outs and 2 one in the bottom of the ninth. Will go down as one the most memorable nights in Yankees history. And although the Yankees took the series from the Rays, it was still a down weekend as the Yanks lost Andy Pettite to a groin injury and the speculation is that he will miss up to five weeks. This is a huge blow to the Yankees especially when Phil Hughes is going to be dispatched to the bullpen likely by early September and A.J. "Bonehead" Burnett keeps injury his pitching hand by slapping walls a la Kevin Brown.
According to the team, Sergio Mitre who is due off the DL at week's end will take Pettite's rotation spot. This to me means that Brian Cashman must make a deal for bullpen help. Going forward you cannot expect more than 5-6 innings per outing from Mitre, and with Hughes' innings limitations, the bullpen will have to eat up innings during those starts. I would make a move for a reliever before I go for a starter. The Yankee bats seem to be heating up and that should take some burden off of the pitching staff. With the trade deadline roughly 13 days away, Cashman will not stand pat.
In another news the New York Mets barely avoided a sweep at the hands of the Giants last night due to a bad call by the homeplate umpire. K-Rod with yet another blown save, but still got the win. Carlos Beltran returned to the Mets' lineup on Friday and went 1-4. Tonight with Reyes and Castillo back in the lineup, the Mets will have their complete lineup together for the first time this season. Although it won't help if their bats don't support the strong outings by their starter's, or if the bullpen continues to blow leads, or unless the Braves start losing, which isn't likely.
In addition the Mets simply have to play better on the road. They started this post All-Star break with an 11-game road trip in which they have now started 1-3, which one call should have made it 0-4. Hopefully, the mental satisfaction of having their entire team will provide them with a spark. That, plus they now have a three game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks which should help the even out that road trip record.
From the NBA:
Dwayne Wade made a stupid comment with regard to the Miami losing a couple of games in a row, that fans will treat it like the World Trade Center coming down again. What an idiot. No matter how much I try to like what these 3 guys have done, it seems eveyday one of them is doing, or saying something that makes you hate them more.
And speaking of the Miami Heat trio, the Great One Michael Jordan offered his comments on the unification of the three best free agents in the Summer of 2010 landing together. This according to espn.com:
"There's no way, with hindsight, I would've ever called up Larry, called up Magic and said, 'Hey, look, let's get together and play on one team,' " Jordan said after playing in a celebrity golf tournament in Nevada. "But that's ... things are different. I can't say that's a bad thing. It's an opportunity these kids have today. In all honesty, I was trying to beat those guys."
Well said MJ. I can't get anymore into this LeBron stuff until the NBA season starts. We have to see how it plays out.
Tiger Woods lost another major yesterday finishing well behind. Watching some of the highlights, the guy does not look to be in the right place mentally. He needs to take a few months and get away from golf, the media and just out of the public eye in general. I think it will do him some good.
Well that's all for this addition of the Jeremy's Weekly Worm. Stay tuned for next week's addition as I preview the Jets and Giants as they open up training camps.
Friday, July 9, 2010
THE DECISION - THE DEBACLE OF LEBRON; MY CONDOLENCES TO CLEVELAND
While its not necessarily a good day to be a Knicks fan, I cannot imagine what it must feel like to be a Cav's fan and Cleveland sports fan in general. Last night LeBron James sent a shockwave through the NBA by renouncing his throne and his manhood by by deciding to play second fiddle to Dwayne Wade on the Miami Heat.
Please everyone spare me on the bullshit that he is a facilitator like Magic Johnson or that Miami does give him the best chance to win championships. If LeBron would have said last night,
"Sorry Cleveland, but I was wrong and cannot bring you a championship on my own. I have given you everything I could over the past 7 years and I now feel that it is time for me to part ways with the Cav's organization. This is strictly a basketball decision and while I do not expect anyone in Cleveland to be happy with me, I hope that in time you will be able to forgive me. I have decided that my chance at winning a championship right now and near future is to ride the co-tail of Dwayne Wade in Miami."
And to correct myself, this is what he should have said on July 1st. There is not a single person in this world that can tell me that this whole idea of Wade, James and Bosh playing together in Miami was not orchestrated from the very beginning. Perhaps as far back as the '08 Olympics. Your telling me that LeBron woke up Thursday morning anhad an epiphony and decided to go to Miami, when Pat "the Rat" Riley was preaching "Dynasty" months ago? Give me a fucking break!!!!
I'll leave that conspiracy theory for another day, the day that Chris Paul joins that trio in Miami. Don't act surprised folks, it'll happen.
What I'm most interested in however, was the process. Dwayne Wade having a 2nd meeting with the Bulls, Pat Riley meeting with James' agent at night after the Knicks visited James earlier in the day, Chris Bosh refusing a sign-and-trade that would have put him with LeBron and Mo Williams in Cleveland and given him a max contract, and that cheesy, bullshit interview that Wade and Bosh did after they announced that they were both signing in Miami. Where at the end Bosh with a smile and two thumbs up, wishing LeBron good luck. The photo a few days before with Wade and Bosh having dinner and the empty seat in the middle, with Bosh saying, "It feels like somebody is missing." Oh and by the way, it was reported on ESPN.com that early Wednesday morning at about 12:30AM the three of them had a conference call. I wonder what they talked about??? Looking back, it looks like a giant, pre-orchestrated scheme to play everyone into this whole bonanza.
My gut feeling is that the Knicks ahead of everybody else caught a whiff of this and tried to make a move in order to maybe sway him from joining Miami. Hence the addition of Amar'e so early in the process. The Bulls were caught napping but were able to land Carlos Boozer before it was too late. I think New Jersey was doomed from the start but completely whiffed as they came away with nothing.
I know for a fact that I am not alone in that I am highly disappointed in LeBron and how he carried himself over the last few months. For a man dubbed "The King", "The Chosen 1" and claims everyone else to be his "Witnesses", he made a bad decision for his career. He may believe that winning a title or two or three will erase what happened in the last two weeks but it won't. Here's why:
1) I do not think that he fully understood just what exactly he did to the city of Cleveland and the state of Ohio. The look on his face when they showed the fan burning his jersey last night on live television said it all. This is now a city that has to claim the Cleveland Brwons as its best sports team! He was the one that talked about his mission being to bring a championship to the city of Cleveland. And so much for his loyalty. He decided that on national television, with the world watching, he was gonna stab Cleveland right in the heart. This is unforgivable. I fear for his safety the next time he has to go back to Cleveland.
2) This is the A-Rod and Jeter situation all over again. I did not hear last night that he conceded that he is going to Wade's team. Maybe he feels that it should be understood, maybe not. Keep in mind that A-Rod did not understand that he could never be greater than Jeter no matter what he did in a Yankee uniform. It took a humbling experience of being caught for PED use for him to finally get it. While LeBron will be loved in Miami if he helps bring another title there, it will always be that Wade did it first. And if LeBron get 2 rings while he is there, it won't matter because Wade will have 3. Heck, he will be playing his home games in Miami-WADE County. And let's say that the first 2 years don't net a championship, where will the fingers point? Certainly not at Wade, he has 7 years of loyalty from the Miami fans and Bosh isn't a credible enough star to bear the blame because he is not expected to carry them to one. Keep in mind if LeBron failed by himself elsewhere it would be understood. With this team, he has no excuse.
3) So much for him and his "Brand" and being Global. He killed all hopes of that once he uttered the words "South Beach." You now have at least 5 more cities/places (Cleveland, Chicago, NY, New Jersey, Brooklyn) in addition to at least L.A. that people will despise him. Not to mention all the others who were just simply fed up by the whole process that seemed to linger on forever. The uttering of those words "South Beach" instantly made him the most hated athlete at least in this country. He just made A-Rod look like Jeter and Bret Favre look like Peyton Manning in one fell swoop. In addition he may have burned his Jay-Z bridge, and any future bridge he may have had in NY.
4) He can forget any comparison to Jordan or Kobe. Some may say that he never wanted to be compared to those guys. Bullshit! He is arguably the best all-around player in the world. And he decided that he is going to spend at least the next 5 years being Scottie Pippen to Wade's Jordan. Why would he do that? He would be the alpha dog in NJ, Chicago and NY. This is what puzzles me the most. Why Miami? Why with Wade? He has no more legacy to speak of.
He will be remembered as a narcissistic, ego-maniac who strung the NBA world along for a bogus ride. As the man who failed in Cleveland and then stab the heart of his hometown city/state on national televsion. The man who could have had the world in NY, but was afraid of the stage and to the easy way out.
The lies and collusion that were involved in this process will make the next collective bargaining agreement very tough. We will see radical changes in how contracts, caps, free agents and the structure of player options are handled. And NBA Free Agency will never be the same because of the humiliation that teams and their management were put through.
There is also the economic fallout the Cleveland will suffer because of his departure. And the fact that the Cav's roster is in shambles because of the various moves to acquire/keep players around him who had bad contracts. Moves that were made to appease him and done with his approval.
Congratulations to the Miami Heat and LeBron James as they both hit a trifecta yesterday.
Miami landed the top 3 free agents in the offseason. LeBron James just killed his career, his legacy, and the city of Cleveland.
My condolences to Cleveland & R.I.P. LeBron James.
Please everyone spare me on the bullshit that he is a facilitator like Magic Johnson or that Miami does give him the best chance to win championships. If LeBron would have said last night,
"Sorry Cleveland, but I was wrong and cannot bring you a championship on my own. I have given you everything I could over the past 7 years and I now feel that it is time for me to part ways with the Cav's organization. This is strictly a basketball decision and while I do not expect anyone in Cleveland to be happy with me, I hope that in time you will be able to forgive me. I have decided that my chance at winning a championship right now and near future is to ride the co-tail of Dwayne Wade in Miami."
And to correct myself, this is what he should have said on July 1st. There is not a single person in this world that can tell me that this whole idea of Wade, James and Bosh playing together in Miami was not orchestrated from the very beginning. Perhaps as far back as the '08 Olympics. Your telling me that LeBron woke up Thursday morning anhad an epiphony and decided to go to Miami, when Pat "the Rat" Riley was preaching "Dynasty" months ago? Give me a fucking break!!!!
I'll leave that conspiracy theory for another day, the day that Chris Paul joins that trio in Miami. Don't act surprised folks, it'll happen.
What I'm most interested in however, was the process. Dwayne Wade having a 2nd meeting with the Bulls, Pat Riley meeting with James' agent at night after the Knicks visited James earlier in the day, Chris Bosh refusing a sign-and-trade that would have put him with LeBron and Mo Williams in Cleveland and given him a max contract, and that cheesy, bullshit interview that Wade and Bosh did after they announced that they were both signing in Miami. Where at the end Bosh with a smile and two thumbs up, wishing LeBron good luck. The photo a few days before with Wade and Bosh having dinner and the empty seat in the middle, with Bosh saying, "It feels like somebody is missing." Oh and by the way, it was reported on ESPN.com that early Wednesday morning at about 12:30AM the three of them had a conference call. I wonder what they talked about??? Looking back, it looks like a giant, pre-orchestrated scheme to play everyone into this whole bonanza.
My gut feeling is that the Knicks ahead of everybody else caught a whiff of this and tried to make a move in order to maybe sway him from joining Miami. Hence the addition of Amar'e so early in the process. The Bulls were caught napping but were able to land Carlos Boozer before it was too late. I think New Jersey was doomed from the start but completely whiffed as they came away with nothing.
I know for a fact that I am not alone in that I am highly disappointed in LeBron and how he carried himself over the last few months. For a man dubbed "The King", "The Chosen 1" and claims everyone else to be his "Witnesses", he made a bad decision for his career. He may believe that winning a title or two or three will erase what happened in the last two weeks but it won't. Here's why:
1) I do not think that he fully understood just what exactly he did to the city of Cleveland and the state of Ohio. The look on his face when they showed the fan burning his jersey last night on live television said it all. This is now a city that has to claim the Cleveland Brwons as its best sports team! He was the one that talked about his mission being to bring a championship to the city of Cleveland. And so much for his loyalty. He decided that on national television, with the world watching, he was gonna stab Cleveland right in the heart. This is unforgivable. I fear for his safety the next time he has to go back to Cleveland.
2) This is the A-Rod and Jeter situation all over again. I did not hear last night that he conceded that he is going to Wade's team. Maybe he feels that it should be understood, maybe not. Keep in mind that A-Rod did not understand that he could never be greater than Jeter no matter what he did in a Yankee uniform. It took a humbling experience of being caught for PED use for him to finally get it. While LeBron will be loved in Miami if he helps bring another title there, it will always be that Wade did it first. And if LeBron get 2 rings while he is there, it won't matter because Wade will have 3. Heck, he will be playing his home games in Miami-WADE County. And let's say that the first 2 years don't net a championship, where will the fingers point? Certainly not at Wade, he has 7 years of loyalty from the Miami fans and Bosh isn't a credible enough star to bear the blame because he is not expected to carry them to one. Keep in mind if LeBron failed by himself elsewhere it would be understood. With this team, he has no excuse.
3) So much for him and his "Brand" and being Global. He killed all hopes of that once he uttered the words "South Beach." You now have at least 5 more cities/places (Cleveland, Chicago, NY, New Jersey, Brooklyn) in addition to at least L.A. that people will despise him. Not to mention all the others who were just simply fed up by the whole process that seemed to linger on forever. The uttering of those words "South Beach" instantly made him the most hated athlete at least in this country. He just made A-Rod look like Jeter and Bret Favre look like Peyton Manning in one fell swoop. In addition he may have burned his Jay-Z bridge, and any future bridge he may have had in NY.
4) He can forget any comparison to Jordan or Kobe. Some may say that he never wanted to be compared to those guys. Bullshit! He is arguably the best all-around player in the world. And he decided that he is going to spend at least the next 5 years being Scottie Pippen to Wade's Jordan. Why would he do that? He would be the alpha dog in NJ, Chicago and NY. This is what puzzles me the most. Why Miami? Why with Wade? He has no more legacy to speak of.
He will be remembered as a narcissistic, ego-maniac who strung the NBA world along for a bogus ride. As the man who failed in Cleveland and then stab the heart of his hometown city/state on national televsion. The man who could have had the world in NY, but was afraid of the stage and to the easy way out.
The lies and collusion that were involved in this process will make the next collective bargaining agreement very tough. We will see radical changes in how contracts, caps, free agents and the structure of player options are handled. And NBA Free Agency will never be the same because of the humiliation that teams and their management were put through.
There is also the economic fallout the Cleveland will suffer because of his departure. And the fact that the Cav's roster is in shambles because of the various moves to acquire/keep players around him who had bad contracts. Moves that were made to appease him and done with his approval.
Congratulations to the Miami Heat and LeBron James as they both hit a trifecta yesterday.
Miami landed the top 3 free agents in the offseason. LeBron James just killed his career, his legacy, and the city of Cleveland.
My condolences to Cleveland & R.I.P. LeBron James.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
JEREMY'S WEEKLY WORM - 7/6/10; NBA FREE AGENCY EDITION
Hello to all those that read my blog and my dearest apologies for no posting in the last 4 months. The truth is with things picking up in work life as well personal life with the arrival of summer, I have just been extremely busy.
But anyway much to get into with the NBA free-agent frenzy in which the NY Knicks have added in principle Amar'e Stoudemire which instantly makes the Knicks a better team. And while he is the ideal signing, he does make the Knicks look more attractive right now than say two days ago. For me, this signing is just a step in the right direction, the first one in a long time towards making the Knick relevant in the NBA once again.
But anyway much to get into with the NBA free-agent frenzy in which the NY Knicks have added in principle Amar'e Stoudemire which instantly makes the Knicks a better team. And while he is the ideal signing, he does make the Knicks look more attractive right now than say two days ago. For me, this signing is just a step in the right direction, the first one in a long time towards making the Knick relevant in the NBA once again.
The addition of Stoudemire to Gallinari, Chandler, Douglas, Bill Walker and the draft picks by the Knicks this year is a pretty good foundation for a re-building team. Of course it means Adios to one my favorite Knicks, David Lee, but those things are just part of the NBA. I hope that the Knicks to right by him and themselves and explore every sign-and-trade possibility that would either help them add players or re-coup draft picks for those possibly lost in the deals that put the Knicks under the cap. As far as rumors of sign and trade possibilites where the Knicks get back Montae Ellis or Ricky Rubio, STAY AWAY FROM THOSE TWO PLAYERS!!!!!!!!!!
Ellis is a taller version of Allen Iverson but is no way nearly as efficient as a scorer. Just a ball-hog looking to get his stats. Rubio although many people like him, he is an unknown when it comes to playing in the NBA. We do not know if he will be a Manu or a Sergio Rodriguez and the risk is simply too great. Put San Antonio on the spot by offering them Lee for Tony Parker straight up. Or if Lee can net you a solid Center or play-making PG or both, you have to pull the trigger. I will reserve comment on Carmelo Anthony potentially coming to the Knicks next summer until he rejects the Nuggets offer of a 3 - year extension.
In other news, ESPN reports that the Raptors would be open to a sign and trade with the Cavaliers which would send Bosh to Cleveland should LeBron stay. The question becomes would Bosh really go to Cleveland? And if he does, does Wade leave Miami for Chicago?
Which brings me to another point, if LeBron does not stay in Cleveland, where is he going? It seems like it would have to either the Bulls or Knicks at this point. I just do not see Miami or New Jersey as players anymore for LeBron. And if he leaves and chooses the Bulls, don't be upset Knicks fans for that may work out best for the Knicks. If LeBron chooses the Bulls, Chris Bosh will follow him there. That leaves a window for D-Wade to come to NY since I do not believe he will stay in Miami just to have Carlos Boozer or David Lee play next to him. I would think that playing with Gallinari and Stoudemire would be much more appealing in addition to Melo possibly coming to the Knicks next summer (whoops!!!! Sorry couldn't help myself)
But for now like everyone else I must sit and wait for LeBron to make up his mind. Which by the way I don't think he has yet, hence the long waiting period. My gut feeling tells me he signs in Cleveland where he can opt out (again) after 3 years and then bolt for Brooklyn. Should that be the case, I would love to see a Lee sign and trade that gets a PG here and signing Mike Miller and the Knicks are back in the playoffs after a long drought. GO NY, GO NY, GO GO!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
JEREMY'S WEEKLY WORM - 2/17/10
Well it has been a while folks, hope you didn't miss me too much, but its time for another addition of Jeremy's Weekly Worm where I will wriggle in and out of all major NY Sports current headlines.
NBA:
The Knicks and Nets are in complete shambles as far as the season goes. The Nets won their 5th game last night, enough said. The Knicks have completely lost any competitive drive that they had during the early part of the season as evidenced by their horrible loss last night to the Bulls. The Knicks can however, salvage the season if they are able to move Jared Jeffries before tomorrow's trade deadline. Moving Jeffries would allow the Knicks to free up more cap room that way the can target two max players, or 1 max player, re-sign David Lee, and add another decent player.
The team willing to take Jeffries right now is the Houston Rockets, but at a steep price. The deal currently being discussed would have the Knicks send Jared Jeffries, Jordan Hill, and either Larry Hughes or Al Harrington while they would get back Tracy McGrady and expiring contracts. Houston taking Jeffries' contract is contingent upon the Knicks swapping 2011 first-round picks with Houston, and giving them their 2012 first-round pick. The details of how high these picks go protected or unpretected is also an obstacle.
For the Knicks this is a high-risk move that could backfire in a couple of ways. The last two GM's the Knicks had made habits of trading first-round picks and thus the Knicks have missed out on quality players over the past 7-8 years. Another way this could backfire is that the Knicks could make the deal to free up all this cap space and could then strike-out this summer. If that were to happen, this franchise would be in the toilet with another upcoming decade of dissappointment in the works.
However, the upside to this deal is that you convince LeBron James to come because a Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, or Joe Johnson can join him and bring the New York Knicks not only back to relevancy, but to a championship contender.
NFL:
Last week the New York Giants released Antonio Peirce. This was a move that had to happen. I loved Pierce as a player and leader the last 5 years here, but his speed and coverage ability have diminished and the Giants need to make changes to the defense. I think you have to open the check book if Karlos Dansby becomes an unrestricted free-agent. If you get Dansby, then I think you go with Taylor Mays, the Safety out of USC with the 15th pick in the 1st round. I know that may be early to take him, but imagine a secondary with a 6'2, 215 pound Kenny Phillips and a 6'3, 230 pound Mays?
I would love for the Giants to get Rolando McClain out of Alabama but I doubt he will drop to 15. If Dansby is unavailable through free-agency, then I think that Jerry Reese has to trade up to get McClain, its a no-brainer. The Giants should also look into Julius Peppers. Adding him would allow the Giants to move Tuck to DT where I think he is more effective, especially with Osi and Peppers at the DE spots.
I think that Justin Tuck will come back healthy, remember he played with a torn labrum in his shoulder all of last year. I think Osi comes back and will the Osi we all remember from a couple of years ago, he will have a chip on his shoulder this year and that will be good for this defense.
Guys like Danny Clark, Fred Robbins, Rocky Bernard, CC Brown, Kevin Dockery, and Aaron Rouse have to go. The Chargers are seeking a RB and are dangling CB Antonio Cromartie. I think the Giants have to entertain the idea of possibly sending Jacobs or Bradshaw to get that guy.
In other news Mark Sanchez will undergo surgery on his knee today.
MLB:
It is this week that pitchers and catchers report and position players next week. I like tha look of the Yankees roster. I think that there are some simple solutions to the questions that people have.
The Yankees are correct in waiting until after the season to negotiate contracts with Mo, Jeter, and Girardi. In the case of Mo, I think they will take it year to year. Girardi will get an extension, the man just won a World Series and barring a disaster of a season, he will be back for the next couple of years. The most interesting one is Jeter. He just had a career-year at the age of 36 and could have easily been the MVP of the AL. I think that his performance this year will dictate the money and length of the contract he gets. If he puts up the numbers he did last year, then I think it is no question you give him 4 years, $100 million. The only issue that would hinder the length and money is if Jeter were to get hurt. If not, I think that he and the Yankee organization both fully understand how much they need each other and will work something out that is in the best interest for both parties.
The 5th starter debate is an intriguing one. I think that it is a no-brainer that Joba Chamberlain is the 5th starter this year. After all the dancing around of the "Joba Rules" the last 2 years, now with the leash off let's see what the kid can do. So much time has been dedicated to keeping him from blowing out his arm, and turning him into a starter, I think that he deserves at least one year with no reins to show what he can do taking the ball every fifth day. Hughes is still on an innings limit and so should serve in the bullpen this year. At times I would give Hughes 2 innings of work and that way next year he will have the reins off as well. If Joba does well as a starter this year, then the Yankees won't be handcuffed when it comes to Javier Vasquez who will be a free-agent after this season and Andy Pettite who contemplates retirement annualy now.
The last issue I want to talk about is the outfield arrangement and lineup. I think that you go with Granderson in left and Gardner in Center or vice versa. Randy Winn should be strictly a bench player, Swish you keep in right. As for the lineup, I think depending on Granderson's progress against lefties in Spring Training, you bat him second agaisnt righties and bat Nick Johnson second against lefties. I think that this debate is a little out of whack because no matter who hits in the 2-hole, they are hitting behind Jeter and in front of Tex and A-Rod, so they will see a ton of strikes, most of which will be fastballs. I think that Granderson would be best suited in the 2-hole because it keeps a player like Damon in the front four which was very good last year. This would leave a combo of Posada/Cano to go 5 and 6. With a combo of Johnson/Swisher to go 7 and 8. That would really lengthen the lineup because of how much Swish and Johnson get on base via the walk. Gardner takes the 9 spot.
I must say that I am dissapointed in the Mets with their lack of moves in the offseason. I think the money they doled out for Jason Bay should have been put towards an offer to get John Lackey. That would fortify the front-end of the rotation, and allow you to put Maine and Pelfrey in the bullpen where I think both are better suited. The Mets should have then signed Jason Marquis, a player who actually wanted to come here, to be the number 3, and then you would have Jon Niese and Oliver Perez for the 4th and 5th spots. Those two signins would have made the Mets pitching much better. I would then have offered Bengie Molina a 2 year deal, Russell Branyan a 1-year incentive laiden deal, and the same with Xavier Nady. With these moves, the 2010 Mets would look something like this:
Rotation: Santanna, Lackey, Marquis, Perez, Niese
Bullpen: Feliciano, Maine, Pelfrey, Parnell, Sean Green, Kelvim Escobar (set-up), K-Rod
Lineup: Reyes(SS), Castillo(2B), Wright(3B), Beltran(CF) Francis(RF), Branyan(1B), Nady(LF), Molina(C), Pitcher
To me, that looks much better than what the Mets have right now, (its understood that Beltran is hurt) and they would have spent probably another $5-10 million than they did this offseason.
And the 1 year deals to both Branyan and Nady would give you veteran help evryday while allowing for Fernando Martinez and Ike Davis to develop in Triple A. Then again, I don't run the Mets.
That all for today, stay tuned for the next edition of Jeremy's Weekly Worm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NBA:
The Knicks and Nets are in complete shambles as far as the season goes. The Nets won their 5th game last night, enough said. The Knicks have completely lost any competitive drive that they had during the early part of the season as evidenced by their horrible loss last night to the Bulls. The Knicks can however, salvage the season if they are able to move Jared Jeffries before tomorrow's trade deadline. Moving Jeffries would allow the Knicks to free up more cap room that way the can target two max players, or 1 max player, re-sign David Lee, and add another decent player.
The team willing to take Jeffries right now is the Houston Rockets, but at a steep price. The deal currently being discussed would have the Knicks send Jared Jeffries, Jordan Hill, and either Larry Hughes or Al Harrington while they would get back Tracy McGrady and expiring contracts. Houston taking Jeffries' contract is contingent upon the Knicks swapping 2011 first-round picks with Houston, and giving them their 2012 first-round pick. The details of how high these picks go protected or unpretected is also an obstacle.
For the Knicks this is a high-risk move that could backfire in a couple of ways. The last two GM's the Knicks had made habits of trading first-round picks and thus the Knicks have missed out on quality players over the past 7-8 years. Another way this could backfire is that the Knicks could make the deal to free up all this cap space and could then strike-out this summer. If that were to happen, this franchise would be in the toilet with another upcoming decade of dissappointment in the works.
However, the upside to this deal is that you convince LeBron James to come because a Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, or Joe Johnson can join him and bring the New York Knicks not only back to relevancy, but to a championship contender.
NFL:
Last week the New York Giants released Antonio Peirce. This was a move that had to happen. I loved Pierce as a player and leader the last 5 years here, but his speed and coverage ability have diminished and the Giants need to make changes to the defense. I think you have to open the check book if Karlos Dansby becomes an unrestricted free-agent. If you get Dansby, then I think you go with Taylor Mays, the Safety out of USC with the 15th pick in the 1st round. I know that may be early to take him, but imagine a secondary with a 6'2, 215 pound Kenny Phillips and a 6'3, 230 pound Mays?
I would love for the Giants to get Rolando McClain out of Alabama but I doubt he will drop to 15. If Dansby is unavailable through free-agency, then I think that Jerry Reese has to trade up to get McClain, its a no-brainer. The Giants should also look into Julius Peppers. Adding him would allow the Giants to move Tuck to DT where I think he is more effective, especially with Osi and Peppers at the DE spots.
I think that Justin Tuck will come back healthy, remember he played with a torn labrum in his shoulder all of last year. I think Osi comes back and will the Osi we all remember from a couple of years ago, he will have a chip on his shoulder this year and that will be good for this defense.
Guys like Danny Clark, Fred Robbins, Rocky Bernard, CC Brown, Kevin Dockery, and Aaron Rouse have to go. The Chargers are seeking a RB and are dangling CB Antonio Cromartie. I think the Giants have to entertain the idea of possibly sending Jacobs or Bradshaw to get that guy.
In other news Mark Sanchez will undergo surgery on his knee today.
MLB:
It is this week that pitchers and catchers report and position players next week. I like tha look of the Yankees roster. I think that there are some simple solutions to the questions that people have.
The Yankees are correct in waiting until after the season to negotiate contracts with Mo, Jeter, and Girardi. In the case of Mo, I think they will take it year to year. Girardi will get an extension, the man just won a World Series and barring a disaster of a season, he will be back for the next couple of years. The most interesting one is Jeter. He just had a career-year at the age of 36 and could have easily been the MVP of the AL. I think that his performance this year will dictate the money and length of the contract he gets. If he puts up the numbers he did last year, then I think it is no question you give him 4 years, $100 million. The only issue that would hinder the length and money is if Jeter were to get hurt. If not, I think that he and the Yankee organization both fully understand how much they need each other and will work something out that is in the best interest for both parties.
The 5th starter debate is an intriguing one. I think that it is a no-brainer that Joba Chamberlain is the 5th starter this year. After all the dancing around of the "Joba Rules" the last 2 years, now with the leash off let's see what the kid can do. So much time has been dedicated to keeping him from blowing out his arm, and turning him into a starter, I think that he deserves at least one year with no reins to show what he can do taking the ball every fifth day. Hughes is still on an innings limit and so should serve in the bullpen this year. At times I would give Hughes 2 innings of work and that way next year he will have the reins off as well. If Joba does well as a starter this year, then the Yankees won't be handcuffed when it comes to Javier Vasquez who will be a free-agent after this season and Andy Pettite who contemplates retirement annualy now.
The last issue I want to talk about is the outfield arrangement and lineup. I think that you go with Granderson in left and Gardner in Center or vice versa. Randy Winn should be strictly a bench player, Swish you keep in right. As for the lineup, I think depending on Granderson's progress against lefties in Spring Training, you bat him second agaisnt righties and bat Nick Johnson second against lefties. I think that this debate is a little out of whack because no matter who hits in the 2-hole, they are hitting behind Jeter and in front of Tex and A-Rod, so they will see a ton of strikes, most of which will be fastballs. I think that Granderson would be best suited in the 2-hole because it keeps a player like Damon in the front four which was very good last year. This would leave a combo of Posada/Cano to go 5 and 6. With a combo of Johnson/Swisher to go 7 and 8. That would really lengthen the lineup because of how much Swish and Johnson get on base via the walk. Gardner takes the 9 spot.
I must say that I am dissapointed in the Mets with their lack of moves in the offseason. I think the money they doled out for Jason Bay should have been put towards an offer to get John Lackey. That would fortify the front-end of the rotation, and allow you to put Maine and Pelfrey in the bullpen where I think both are better suited. The Mets should have then signed Jason Marquis, a player who actually wanted to come here, to be the number 3, and then you would have Jon Niese and Oliver Perez for the 4th and 5th spots. Those two signins would have made the Mets pitching much better. I would then have offered Bengie Molina a 2 year deal, Russell Branyan a 1-year incentive laiden deal, and the same with Xavier Nady. With these moves, the 2010 Mets would look something like this:
Rotation: Santanna, Lackey, Marquis, Perez, Niese
Bullpen: Feliciano, Maine, Pelfrey, Parnell, Sean Green, Kelvim Escobar (set-up), K-Rod
Lineup: Reyes(SS), Castillo(2B), Wright(3B), Beltran(CF) Francis(RF), Branyan(1B), Nady(LF), Molina(C), Pitcher
To me, that looks much better than what the Mets have right now, (its understood that Beltran is hurt) and they would have spent probably another $5-10 million than they did this offseason.
And the 1 year deals to both Branyan and Nady would give you veteran help evryday while allowing for Fernando Martinez and Ike Davis to develop in Triple A. Then again, I don't run the Mets.
That all for today, stay tuned for the next edition of Jeremy's Weekly Worm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
NFL PLAYOFF PREVIEW
Well after 17 weeks of football it is now time for the annual NFL tournament known as the playoffs, playoffs? playoffs? don't talk about, playoffs? Sorry, too many of those Jim Mora commercials have gotten to me.
We will start with Saturday's games, both rematches from Week 17. The Jets after being handed a victory by the Colts, put a whipping on the Bengals Sunday night. Of course they had more to play for and the Bengals 1,300 yard running back was rested but a dominant performance nonetheless. If the Jets can play a similar style game they should win easily. What I mean is have Sanchez throw the ball no more than 14 times and play solid defense. Both will be more difficult this time around as the Jets will travel to Cincy for what should be a wild crowd. Also look for the Bengals to stack the line with up to 9 guys to force Sanchez to throw the ball more. Jets defense may be without its leading tackler David Harris and that is a huge blow. Brad Smith may also be a little banged up but the Bengals will be more prepared for him this time around. If the game is close I do not think that Sanchez can go out and win it as a rookie on the road, the Jets have to hope that the Bengals defense does not show up for a second week in a row.
The Dallas/Philly game presents a very interesting matchup. I, like most people was shocked last week at the performance of the Eagles. Lots of mental errors and lack of execution really throttled them last week. Look for them to clean all that up this week. Dallas right now is riding high and have every reason to. They are clicking on all cylinders and have already beaten the Eagles twice. Eagles have too much speed and talent for them to lose to Dallas for a third time. Dallas' playoff losing streak continues and Wade Phillips is fired on Monday.
Most people are calling Dallas the hottest team heading into the playoffs right now but I feel that that title belongs to the Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers and his offense are playing at such a high level with the offensive line much improved from the beginning of the season. That defense has been good all year and has been better lately with the play of Charles Woodson and Clay Matthews. Arizona is a one-dimensional team and Boldin is hurting right now. They made the run last year without him but I think that Woodson and a saftey can take Fitzgerald out of the game and the Cardinals have nothing else to lean on. Arizona's defense got mauled last week against Green Bay.
Last but not least is the Ravens visting the Patriots. Of course we start with the Wes Welker injury which came at such a bad time because it will keep him out of the playoffs this year and he may not be healthy until midway next year. Julian Edelman is of the same mold but I don't know if Brady has the same trust. Baltimore as always have a stout defense and this year their running game is stronger. Joe Flacco is no longer a rookie and should be able to make plays against a sub-par Patriot defense. This game will be the closest of all but Tom Brady and playing in New England gives the Pats the edge.
Early Super Bowl prediction: Chargers vs. Packers
Other notes:
The Giants made the right move in firing Bill Sheridan. Now Tom Coughlin cannot afford to make the same mistake again with Mike Shanahan now coaching the Redskins. I think that Dick Jauron would be best suited, maybe Romeo Crennel, and read that former Giants linebacker Pepper Johnson could be a candidate as well. The roster also needs to be cleaned up, McKenzie, Seubert, Moss, Robbins, Bernard, CC Brown, Michael Johnson, Danny Clark, and maybe Pierce should all be on their way out with others.
Mets made mistake signing Jason Bay. He will not be able to hold up for more than 2 full seasons in that ball park. You built a pitcher's park hence you need pitching, defense and speed. Jason Bay does not fill any of those needs, neither does Bengie Molina. Minaya should be gone before All-Star Break as the Mets will be fighting off the Nationals to stay out of last place with the Phillies, Braves, and Marlins all having better starting pitching and bullpens.
How bout the Knicks who continue to play well. If this team had PG like Nash or Kidd they would be right there with Atlanta and Miami battling a 4th seed in the East. The more I watch this team the more I think that they need to keep David Lee and acquire a pass-first playmaker. Gallinari is a year away from being a perrenial All-Star.
We will start with Saturday's games, both rematches from Week 17. The Jets after being handed a victory by the Colts, put a whipping on the Bengals Sunday night. Of course they had more to play for and the Bengals 1,300 yard running back was rested but a dominant performance nonetheless. If the Jets can play a similar style game they should win easily. What I mean is have Sanchez throw the ball no more than 14 times and play solid defense. Both will be more difficult this time around as the Jets will travel to Cincy for what should be a wild crowd. Also look for the Bengals to stack the line with up to 9 guys to force Sanchez to throw the ball more. Jets defense may be without its leading tackler David Harris and that is a huge blow. Brad Smith may also be a little banged up but the Bengals will be more prepared for him this time around. If the game is close I do not think that Sanchez can go out and win it as a rookie on the road, the Jets have to hope that the Bengals defense does not show up for a second week in a row.
The Dallas/Philly game presents a very interesting matchup. I, like most people was shocked last week at the performance of the Eagles. Lots of mental errors and lack of execution really throttled them last week. Look for them to clean all that up this week. Dallas right now is riding high and have every reason to. They are clicking on all cylinders and have already beaten the Eagles twice. Eagles have too much speed and talent for them to lose to Dallas for a third time. Dallas' playoff losing streak continues and Wade Phillips is fired on Monday.
Most people are calling Dallas the hottest team heading into the playoffs right now but I feel that that title belongs to the Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers and his offense are playing at such a high level with the offensive line much improved from the beginning of the season. That defense has been good all year and has been better lately with the play of Charles Woodson and Clay Matthews. Arizona is a one-dimensional team and Boldin is hurting right now. They made the run last year without him but I think that Woodson and a saftey can take Fitzgerald out of the game and the Cardinals have nothing else to lean on. Arizona's defense got mauled last week against Green Bay.
Last but not least is the Ravens visting the Patriots. Of course we start with the Wes Welker injury which came at such a bad time because it will keep him out of the playoffs this year and he may not be healthy until midway next year. Julian Edelman is of the same mold but I don't know if Brady has the same trust. Baltimore as always have a stout defense and this year their running game is stronger. Joe Flacco is no longer a rookie and should be able to make plays against a sub-par Patriot defense. This game will be the closest of all but Tom Brady and playing in New England gives the Pats the edge.
Early Super Bowl prediction: Chargers vs. Packers
Other notes:
The Giants made the right move in firing Bill Sheridan. Now Tom Coughlin cannot afford to make the same mistake again with Mike Shanahan now coaching the Redskins. I think that Dick Jauron would be best suited, maybe Romeo Crennel, and read that former Giants linebacker Pepper Johnson could be a candidate as well. The roster also needs to be cleaned up, McKenzie, Seubert, Moss, Robbins, Bernard, CC Brown, Michael Johnson, Danny Clark, and maybe Pierce should all be on their way out with others.
Mets made mistake signing Jason Bay. He will not be able to hold up for more than 2 full seasons in that ball park. You built a pitcher's park hence you need pitching, defense and speed. Jason Bay does not fill any of those needs, neither does Bengie Molina. Minaya should be gone before All-Star Break as the Mets will be fighting off the Nationals to stay out of last place with the Phillies, Braves, and Marlins all having better starting pitching and bullpens.
How bout the Knicks who continue to play well. If this team had PG like Nash or Kidd they would be right there with Atlanta and Miami battling a 4th seed in the East. The more I watch this team the more I think that they need to keep David Lee and acquire a pass-first playmaker. Gallinari is a year away from being a perrenial All-Star.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
JEREMY'S WEEKLY WORM - HOLIDAY EDITION
Well its that time of year where everyone is out shopping, eating, drinking and celebrating their respective holiday in anticipation of the upcoming new year. It also one of the most exctiting times of the year for sports.
At this time in the NBA we begin to see how the playoff races are shaping up. There are usually the teams we know will be top seeds, the teams that will fall into the range of the bottom 5-8 seeds, and the tomato cans of the league. At this point in time the New York Knicks shockingly fall into the category of the 5-8 seeds. Though they are currently not in the top 8 I believe, the Knicks are playing their best basketball in what seems like a decade. They have won 7 of their last 9 and have won 6 straight at home, all without Nate Robinson who may not be on the team too much longer. Gallo is developing into a great all-around player and David Lee is having an All-Star caliber year. I think that the Knicks are finally buying into Mike D'Antoni's system and it is paying huge dividends.
It is around this time of year that the MLB Hot Stove is possibly at its hottest with moves already made, and bigger mooves lying ahead. Much of the talk going into the offseason revolved around the big 3 free agents John Lackey, Jason Bay and Matt Holliday. There was also much talk of the possible move of Roy Halladay. Well so far Halladay is now a Philly and Lackey apart of the Red Sox. The Mets have an offer out to Jason Bay but it seems that Bay does not want to play for the Mets. I think that going after Bay is a mistake for the Mets. He is a below average outfielder and that will not bode well for him in that ballpark. The Yankees fresh of their World Series have been quite busy with re-signing Pettite to a 1 - year deal. They also acquired Curtis Granderson and Javier Vasquez via trade without having to give up much. Granderson instantly upgrades the outfield and brings some lefty pop that the Yankees lost in Damon and Matsui. Javier Vasquez brings stability to the back end of the rotation and should win at least 12-16 games.
Perhaps the most important facet of the sports world at this time of year is the NFL playoff race. There remains 1 undefeated team in the Colts and a number of others have clinched playoff spots. The Jets really Plaxico'd themselves (shot themselves in the foot) with the loss to the Falcons in the final 2 minutes of the game. This is a team that has to learn to pummel inferior teams early and close out close games. Those two areas this year have cost the Jets at the very least 3 wins. Now they are in a 6 way tie at 7-7, while Baltimore and Denver currently occupy the 5 and 6 seeds with records of 8-4. The Jets need to win their final 2 games and they need a lot of help. And it will not be easy as this week they pay a visit to Peyton Manning and the Colts who are 14-0 and have to be thinking about 16-0.
The Giants helped their playoff hopes with a pimp-slapping beat-down of the Redskins in Washington on Monday Night Football. The Giants defense that we have been used to for the past 2 years finally decided to show up in 2009. Keep it up Sheridan, the gameplan against the Skins is the way this defense should have been playing all year. The Giants also need help but their help is much more realistic. The Giants need to win their final 2 games agaist the Panthers and the Vikings and they need either the Cowboys or Packers to lose 1 game. Highly plausible considering the Cowboys December to Misremember history. I'm not buying too much into the win over the Saints, the Saints have been in a lot of close games the past month and I think that the pressure of 16-0 was getting to them. By the way, Eli Manning is having a career year and Steve Smith of the Giants should be in the Pro Bowl.
In other sports news:
Congratualtions to Martin Brodeur who became the NHL's all-time shut out leader and arguably the greatest Goalie ever.
Thank you to the sports radio world who have been able to go a few days with no mention of Tiger Woods, it was getting annoying.
There seems to be a rift between Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress and QB Bret Favre. This is the wrong time for this to be happening, although Favre does seem to be in his annual December decline.
The Bulls had a 35-point lead over the Kings two nights ago with 8 minutes remaining in the 3rd Quarter at home and lost the game, WOW!!!!!!
Well that's it for this edition, the first edition of Jeremy's Weekly Worm. Wishing everyone a safe and happy holliday season and a blessed 2010!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
At this time in the NBA we begin to see how the playoff races are shaping up. There are usually the teams we know will be top seeds, the teams that will fall into the range of the bottom 5-8 seeds, and the tomato cans of the league. At this point in time the New York Knicks shockingly fall into the category of the 5-8 seeds. Though they are currently not in the top 8 I believe, the Knicks are playing their best basketball in what seems like a decade. They have won 7 of their last 9 and have won 6 straight at home, all without Nate Robinson who may not be on the team too much longer. Gallo is developing into a great all-around player and David Lee is having an All-Star caliber year. I think that the Knicks are finally buying into Mike D'Antoni's system and it is paying huge dividends.
It is around this time of year that the MLB Hot Stove is possibly at its hottest with moves already made, and bigger mooves lying ahead. Much of the talk going into the offseason revolved around the big 3 free agents John Lackey, Jason Bay and Matt Holliday. There was also much talk of the possible move of Roy Halladay. Well so far Halladay is now a Philly and Lackey apart of the Red Sox. The Mets have an offer out to Jason Bay but it seems that Bay does not want to play for the Mets. I think that going after Bay is a mistake for the Mets. He is a below average outfielder and that will not bode well for him in that ballpark. The Yankees fresh of their World Series have been quite busy with re-signing Pettite to a 1 - year deal. They also acquired Curtis Granderson and Javier Vasquez via trade without having to give up much. Granderson instantly upgrades the outfield and brings some lefty pop that the Yankees lost in Damon and Matsui. Javier Vasquez brings stability to the back end of the rotation and should win at least 12-16 games.
Perhaps the most important facet of the sports world at this time of year is the NFL playoff race. There remains 1 undefeated team in the Colts and a number of others have clinched playoff spots. The Jets really Plaxico'd themselves (shot themselves in the foot) with the loss to the Falcons in the final 2 minutes of the game. This is a team that has to learn to pummel inferior teams early and close out close games. Those two areas this year have cost the Jets at the very least 3 wins. Now they are in a 6 way tie at 7-7, while Baltimore and Denver currently occupy the 5 and 6 seeds with records of 8-4. The Jets need to win their final 2 games and they need a lot of help. And it will not be easy as this week they pay a visit to Peyton Manning and the Colts who are 14-0 and have to be thinking about 16-0.
The Giants helped their playoff hopes with a pimp-slapping beat-down of the Redskins in Washington on Monday Night Football. The Giants defense that we have been used to for the past 2 years finally decided to show up in 2009. Keep it up Sheridan, the gameplan against the Skins is the way this defense should have been playing all year. The Giants also need help but their help is much more realistic. The Giants need to win their final 2 games agaist the Panthers and the Vikings and they need either the Cowboys or Packers to lose 1 game. Highly plausible considering the Cowboys December to Misremember history. I'm not buying too much into the win over the Saints, the Saints have been in a lot of close games the past month and I think that the pressure of 16-0 was getting to them. By the way, Eli Manning is having a career year and Steve Smith of the Giants should be in the Pro Bowl.
In other sports news:
Congratualtions to Martin Brodeur who became the NHL's all-time shut out leader and arguably the greatest Goalie ever.
Thank you to the sports radio world who have been able to go a few days with no mention of Tiger Woods, it was getting annoying.
There seems to be a rift between Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress and QB Bret Favre. This is the wrong time for this to be happening, although Favre does seem to be in his annual December decline.
The Bulls had a 35-point lead over the Kings two nights ago with 8 minutes remaining in the 3rd Quarter at home and lost the game, WOW!!!!!!
Well that's it for this edition, the first edition of Jeremy's Weekly Worm. Wishing everyone a safe and happy holliday season and a blessed 2010!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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