A Quick Look at the NY Giants

Although it's still early for football, trainging camps still about 1 and 1/2 months away, I have to get my thoughts out on the Giants after reading an article by Paul Bessire. Paul claims in his article 2009 NFC East Preview (http://www.whatifsports.com/beyondtheboxscore/default.asp?article=2009NFLNEAST) that the NY Giants will finish 9-7 and be the second Wild Card team, with Philly winning the division title and Dallas finishing with the same 9-7 record but as the first Wild Card team. I do understand that everyone in entitled to their opinion but there is no way that Dallas finishes ahead of the Giants, I'll give you the Philly argument, but just barely.
While T.O. was a headache as he always is, the guy still produced and it was because of his presence that Jason Witten enjoyed so much success and their running game thrived the last couple of years. I'm not taking anything away from Witten, but the middle of the field is bound to be more open when a receiver the caliber of T.O. is taking the coverages with him down the sidelines. That being said, Roy Williams has yet to demonstrate that he can be a legitimate number 1 receiver and Romo still has to prove that he can win when the season matters most, notably December, I won't even go into the playoffs because that's too easy, he hasn't won a playoff game yet. Furthermore, Dallas does have a strong run game but I would not put it ahead of the Giants running attack. The loss of Derick Ward might seem like a major blow to most but may I remind you that Ahmad Bradshaw is waiting in the wings who with limites carries last year will be a fresh, faster compliment to the Juggernaut Jacobs, both of whom will be behind what is still the best offensive line in the league, Philly looks good on paper but let's see how that translates onto the field. Also, the Giants have the most underrated fullback in the league in Madison Hedgecock. The league will also be introduced to Danny Ware who is one of the best kept secrets in the NFL, just ask Matt Mosley. Going back to the wide receivers, while it is clear that the Giants do not have a clear number 1 reciever, I would take their recieving corps over the Cowboy's corps in a heartbeat.
However, the defenses is where the biggest difference in these teams are for me. While the Giants lost James Butler (Kenny Phillips will make no one miss him) and added Chris Canty, Rocky Bernard, and Michael Boley not to mention getting Osi back, the Cowboys lost Pacman Jones, Tank Johnson, Roy Williams, Canty, and Greg Ellis. I think that the loss of Ellis will hurt the most as he seemed to the leader of that defense. Losing Canty will hurt too once they see what he can do with guys like Osi, Tuck and Kiwanuka around him. The other losses won't be too bad although I think that their run-defense will hurt with the loss of Williams. If I were running the Cowboys I would have asked him to beef up by 20 pounds and put him at outside linebacker to use in run-defense and pass-rush situations. DeMarcus Ware is without a doubt the brightest spot on this defense but after a season like 2008, he can expect much more double teams and chips from running back this year, with no real threat on the other side, Jay Ratliff is not even close to Ware, I think his production will drop, but his presence will help nonetheless. Last but not least I think that the Giants have a superior secondary. Kenny Phillips in his second year will have a chance to make more plays now being a full-time starter and with the benefit of the best D-Line in the league. I think Michael Johnson is a fundamentally sound player and will continue to improve. Corey Webster picks up where he left off last year with Aaron Ross right behind him. Terrell Thomas is a product of USC and will now serve as the nickel back in his second year and Kevin Dockery has his moments, you remember Cowboys fans don't you? As for the Cowboys, I like Terrance Newman but what else is their after him? They traded starter Anthony Henry away for a back up QB and they added Ken Hamlin who will be better than Roy Williams in coverage but is not a great run-support safety.
The Giants won this division last year going 12-4 after a Super Bowl season which many people called a fluke because they got "hot" at the right time. This is still a young team, and with many of the players being apart of the last two seasons, it is a young team with playoff experience. This division is still between the Giants and Eagles. A quick word on the Eagles, they will only go as far as Brian Westbrook takes them, McNabb is good but can't do it all by himself. The releasing of Brian Dawkins will hurt more than people think. I have watched Philly games for years and he was the heart and soul of that defense, replacing his leadership will not be easy, if it is possible at all. Giants and Eagles each win at least 11-12 games vying for the division title, Dallas as long as Wade Phillips is there they won't do much, they go 8-8 and miss the playoffs again which will spell the end of Wade's tenure as head coach, the Redskins once again Super Bowl champs of March will be lucky to win 6 games, Haynesworth got paid and now will not equal his play of the last 2 years, DeAngelo Hall is the T.O. of DB's. Jason Campbell can play but cannot win without anyone to throw the ball to. The NFC team in the Super Bowl this year will be either the Giants or Eagles.

Boston Bashes Yanks Once Again

A.J. Burnett was terrible. His first 50 pitches were comprised of 25 balls and 25 strikes, and it was still the second inning. He didn't make it out of the third inning en route to a 7-0 whipping at the hands of the Red Sox. The Yankee bats were of no help either as they only got 2 hits. That was in most part to 6 innnings of great pitching from Josh Beckett who then turned the game over to the Boston bullpen which by the way has the best ERA in the Majors. The Yankees looked deflated with Burnett's horrible outing. Especially, after David Ortiz who coming into this game was batting .197 with two homers crushed a Burnett fastball over the centerfield fence for a 2-run shot. Big Papi has always been a Yankee killer. But even in a season where he is struggling so bad that he is batting 6th in the Boston lineup, he still gets amped for the Yankees as 2 of his 3 homeruns have come against the Yanks. Boston seems to take it up a notch when they play New York as they should because it is the biggest rivalry in sports no matter time of the season it is. It appears as though the Yankees have yet to do so this season as they are now 0-6 on the year against the Red Sox. Right now they are tied for first in the East, and after this series the Yanks welcome the cross-town rival Mets to the new Stadium for a three game set. If you are not going to elevate your game even a little for these series, how do you expect to do it come October? The Yankees better find a way to get up for these games against the Red Sox otherwise before you know it they are 0-18 against Boston and are missing the postseason for the second straight year. Get it going against these guys, the Yankees are much better than what they have showed Boston, they have to play like it, and do it now.

Balance and High Percentage Shooting Help Magic Take Game 3

For the Magic it was do or die as facing a 0-3 defecit would have spelled their demise after a terriffic season. But for at least one game they got it together it was one of the most impressive NBA Finals performances in recent memory to make the series 2-1. To put it simple, they made their shots. They made many of their shots. The Orlando Magic as a team shot a whopping 75% in the first half and an insane 62.5% for the game. Balance was the key as the Magic spread the ball around and had 5 players who scored at least 18 points. Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis led the way with 21 points each, Howard added 14 rebounds. Rafer Alston also had a huge game after 2 horrific games in L.A. with 20 points. The Lakers were led by Kobe Bryant's 31 points, 17 of which came in the first quarter. Bryant could not sustain his hot shooting throughout the rest of the game and despite a decent effort (not his best) from the game's best closer, Orlando's shooting was just too much for even Bryant to overcome. Pau Gasol added 23 points but made a crucial mistake when he recovered a Bryant turnover and then turned the ball over himself instead of taking a timeout. Bryant was forced to foul Pietrus who then made to clutch free throws to put the Magic ahead by 4 with just under 30 seconds to go in the fourth. Pietrus was another Magic player who had 18 points. The Lakers got solid all around play from Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom but it was not enough. Trevor Ariza missed to many open opportunities and with the way the Magic were shooting, it was something the Lakers could not afford. Look for a better performance from Bryant in Game 4 but if the Magic ride their confident shooting into the next Game, this series will be even.

Igloo Ices Red Wings This Time Around

No deja vu for the Penguins as under the same circumstances that they lost the Stanley Cup to Detroit last year, they triumph this year to force a Game 7. Facing elimination the Penguins found a way despite Crosby and Malkin not scoring or recording any assists. Instead it was the unsung heroes of Jordan Staal and Tyler Kennedy who provided the scoring in a 2-1 Penguins victory. Probabaly the biggest story in this game was the performance of Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury who had one of his best performances of the post season. This after a dismal Game 5 where he was pulled in the second period during a 5-o thumping at the hands of Detroit. Fleury frustrated the Red Wings all game as it was not until the third period that Kris Draper finally got Detroit on the board. However, Fleury stellat play continued after that throughout the third period as Detroit would have two power-play opportunities and came up empty on both. Onto Joe Louis Arena Friday for what should an amazing Game 7.

NBA Finals Game 3: Superman Returns

Tonight is the night that Superman returns. Yes, the Dwight Howard that we have seen in these playoffs up until the Finals will return to the court tonight as the Orlando Magic return to their home court for a crucial Game 3. Tonight Stan Van Gundy keeps Jameer Nelson on the bench and goes with the lineup and rotation that got the Magic to this point in the playoffs. Expect the Magic to come with more intensity on the defensive end which will enable them to get into transition where they are at their best. This will lead to more points in the paint early for the Magic, Howard in particular which will also open up the outside for the 3-point shooters; Lewis, Reddick, etc. Look also for Hedo Turkoglu to be much more aggressive early on the offensive side to help Howard get some easy buckets and get the Magic offense into rhythm. In addition, we have seen how the Lakers come out dominating opponents in the ealry stages of the series to only have let downs on the road. Maybe this could be an exception because it is the Finals and we all know how bad Kobe wants to get the "Can't win one without Shaq" monkey off his back. Also that Phil Jackson wants to surpass Red Aurbach and nab his tenth title. However, they will not sweep the Magic in doing so. From what we have seen from the Lakers there is no indication that they will dominate their opponent for 4 straight games. Tonight, Game 3, Superman Returns.

Evil Empire vs. The Nation

The Yankees may be 0-5 against the Red Sox on the season but things are a little bit different this time around. We'll start with the Red Sox who have Kevin Youkilis back having missed 3 games of the previous 5. Big Papi continues to slump and the emphasis for him to get it going will be intensified during this series. The Red Sox though still continue to get good pitching and so far this season Jason Bay has been a Yankee killer much like Manny used to be when he was in Boston. Dustin Pedroia continues his solid play as does Mike Lowell who also plays well against the Yankees. Jacoby Ellsbury continues to be one of the best centerfielders in the game. Things are different for the Yankees this time around as they are in first place as opposed to hovering around .500 the last time these teams met. Yankees starting pitching is also much better and the bullpen is shaping up just fine after recent solid outings from Brett Tomko, Phil Hughes, Alfredo Aceves, and Phil Coke. The return of A-Rod has also helped drastically as Mark Texiera has been on a rampage since A-Rod's return to the lineup. This lineup that has Melky Cabrera, a .300 hitter and probably the Yankees most clutch hitter this season batting 9th in the order. Swisher is heating up again and Johnny Damon is having a great year. Couple all that with Captain Derek Jeter having his best season in about 3-4 years and this is a different Yankee team than the one Boston last saw. Looking forward to the second game of the series which pits Wang against Wakefield which could end up a 5 hour, home-run derby type game. Burnett vs. Beckett should be better than the last meeting they had and C.C. dominates against Brad Penny in the final game. If the Yanks can get a win in the first game over Beckett they can pull off the sweep in Boston which would be a tremendous boost to a team already playing at an incredibly high level. Baseball is back to normal with Yankees vs. Red Sox in a battle for first place in the A.L. East.

Big Night in the Sports World

Lots of activity tonight, not sure what to watch. We have both NY baseball teams commencing important series with their biggest rivals. A.J. Burnett takes the mound for the Yankees against Josh Beckett for the Red Sox in Fenway, meanwhile it will be Johan Santana against J.A. Happ in Citi field. There is also Game 3 of the NBA Finals where the Magic come home to try and recover from an 0-2 defecit against the Lakers. There is also a repeat setup of the end of last year's Stanely Cup Finals with the Penguins down 3-2 playing at home in Game 6 against the Red Wings. And lastly, there is the MLB Draft which will be televised for the first time on MLB Network and all eyes will be on the 20 year-old phenom Stephen Strasburg. Much more throughout the day... keep reading.

No Magic Touch

Last night the Orlando Magic dropped Game 2 of the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers and are now facing an 0-2 defecit on their way back home for Game 3. Although last night's game was much more competitive and closer than the Game 1 blowout, the Magic's performance begs the question, Did the Magic already have their finals by beating LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers? Where is Rafer Alston? Is Pau Gasol really that good a defender that Dwight Howard got his first dunk in the third quarter of Game 2? Where is the Magic team that we saw frustrating King James and running the team with the best record in the NBA this season out of the playoffs in six games? It looks like Rashard Lewis is playing the Lakers by himself, just as LeBron was playing the Magic by himself. Only that the Magic will not last 6 games. Stan Van Gundy and his team had better hope to regain the magic touch that earned them a spot in the NBA Finals or they will end up like the last Orlando team that made it to the Finals . . . . . . swept.

Already a 1/3 of the Way Through

Don't look now but we have just passed the 1/3 mark of the baseball season. Of course there is still plenty of baseball left but let's look at how our 2 New York teams are doing at the current moment.

NY Yankees - The only thing that the Yanks have to be concerned about right now is the bullpen. There is no definitive setup man however that issue can be resolved with the return of Bruney and Marte. Other than that all is well in the Bronx with the Yanks is first place in the AL East and tied for the best record in the AL along with the Texas Rangers. Hopefully the Yanks can keep it going tonight as they wrap up this series with the Rays and then welcome the BoSox to town. The Yankees are currently 0-5 against the Sox this year but this looks like a different club than what Boston saw in the first 5 meetings. After Boston the Yanks take on the crosstown rival NY Mets so it will be a very interesting week in the Bronx.

NY Mets - Despite an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Pirates the Mets remain 5 games above .500 and remain in second place to the defending champion Phillies. This also despite a rash of injuries that has decimated this lineup and the pitching staff/bullpen. It will be interesting this week to see if Jerry Manuel can keep the Mets afloat with looming series against the Phillies and the Yankees. The Mets will need great pitching from their starters as well as big time hits from Wright, Sheffield, and Beltran.