THE WEEKLY WORM

JEREMY'S WEEKLY WORM - Week of 7/26/10

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:30:00 +0000

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.

JEREMY'S WEEKLY WORM - Week of 7/19/10

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:43:00 +0000

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.

THE DECISION - THE DEBACLE OF LEBRON; MY CONDOLENCES TO CLEVELAND

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:25:00 +0000

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.

JEREMY'S WEEKLY WORM - 7/6/10; NBA FREE AGENCY EDITION

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:25:00 +0000

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.

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!!!!!!!!!

JEREMY'S WEEKLY WORM - 2/17/10

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:04:00 +0000

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NFL PLAYOFF PREVIEW

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:24:00 +0000

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.

JEREMY'S WEEKLY WORM - HOLIDAY EDITION

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:54:00 +0000

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A RAY OF LIGHT IN THE KNICKS' VICTORY OVER THE SUNS

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:07:00 +0000

In a season that has been filled with expected disappointment, there was a glimmer of hope for Knicks fans on the floor last night.

For those who tuned into the 126-99 beatdown of the Suns last night, you saw a glimpse of the kind of player Danilo Gallinari can be. Entering last night's game, the Knicks brought in the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference and were riding a 5-game losing streak. The Suns came in with the League's best record and having scored at least 100 points in every game thus far. With that being said, one would think that it would be the Suns who would dominate the lowly Knicks and blow them out by 27 points. Last night was very different.

The Knicks came out with a level of energy and intensity that we have not seen in a very long time, a level that arguably the best team in the NBA could not come close to even if they were flying in a 747. The Knicks erupted for a 39-point first quarter led by stellar shooting from Gallo, better passing from Larry Hughes, and tremendous hustle from everyone.

The Knicks did not need a double-double from David Lee who finished with 24 points, 8 rebounds, half of which were offensive, and 4 steals. They did not need contribution from Nate Robinson on this night who finished with 0 points, largely due to a great game from Hughes who finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds, 12 assists, and 4 steals. Al Harrington added 22 points on just 8-14 shooting, the number of shots attempted he should be averaging per game, not an attempt higher. The Knicks also got great hustle from Jared Jeffries who had 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots. He also took turn in a rotation that saw Wilson Chandler, David Lee, and Jeffries all guard Steve Nash for extended periods of time.

But the story of the night was that this may have been Danilo Gallinari's coming out party. The Italian Stallion led all scorers with 27 points which included 6-12 from 3-point range. Gallo raised his league-leading number of 3-pointers made to 54 with last night's effort. The scoring however, was not the most impressive part of the night. Gallo also had 10 rebounds and 2 blocked shots and seemed very comfortable all over the floor last night. Whether it was sinking jumpers, tracking down long rebounds, or playing defense, Gallo played last night with a confidence and a swagger that Knicks fans have been waiting to see. It showed last night and translated into what was probably the best game of his career thus far.

You also have to give credit to Coach Mike D'Antoni. He knew that this was going to be a tough situation when he took the job to coach the Knicks, and it has been a long and hard trip so far. But in what was his 100th game coaching this franchise, he had the sweetest night of any of the previous 99. Not only did D'Antoni get to see his team execute his offense flawlessly, but he got to see them do it to the team that he built before coming to the Knicks. Although he would never admit it, you have to believe that D'Antoni enjoyed this victory a little more than any other. Afterall, he was fired from the Suns when they brought in Shaq and had to change their philosophy on offense. Now Shaq is gone and running the team is Alvin Gentry, a man who served as an assistant under D'Antoni when he coached the Suns and now operates the exact same system. D'Antoni is the architect and so he knew everything that the Suns were going to do and devised a great game-plan. Putting big bodies on Nash to make him earn all his points and limit his passing was the key to slowing a Suns offense that was held to under 100 points for the first time this season.

Too much cannot be read into one victory because that is all that it is. The Suns had an off night, they even looked like they took the Knicks lightly. The Knicks must now show that they can play at this level with consistency against all opponents. They can start tonight when the go to Orlando to face the Eastern Conference's best team.

JETS STRUGGLES CONTINUE

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:41:00 +0000

After the Atlanta Falcons did the improbable last year by going to the playoffs with a rookie Head Coach and a rookie QB, the Jets thought they could catch lightning in a bottle with the same formula.

The Atlanta Faclons hired one the most-respected Defensive Coordinators in the league, Mike Smith from the Jacksonville Jaguars, and then with the 3rd pick in the 2008 NFL Draft they selected Matt Ryan. The result, Matt Ryan throws a TD on his first career pass ensue to an 11-5 record with a trip to the postseason. Not bad.

The New York Jets took the exact same approach this past offseason. They hired one of the most-respected Defensive Coordinators in the league, Rex Ryan (or Rex Cryan as they now call him) from the Baltimore Ravens, his father Buddy Ryan the architect of the '85 Bears defense. And then they traded up for the 5th pick in draft which they used to select Mark Sanchez. The result thus far, a 3-0 record that had everyone (mostly the Jets and their coach) putting the Jets in the Super Bowl and having the greatest defense ever. Since that 3-0 record, the Jets are 1-6 and that highly touted defensive got shredded by little Wes Welker for 15 catches and 192 yards. They have been brought back to Earth.

The Jets with their rookie Head Coach and rookie QB stand far from the success of the Falcons last year as they are currently 4-6 and are searching for answers. Mark Sanchez is struggling like most rookies do, throwing 16 interceptions through his first 9 games, he has also become fumble prone, fumbling the ball 9 times this season, losing 3. Its hard to imagine that a rookie QB with such a good running game and defense to lean on has struggled so much.

After doing a lot of trash-talking for their first game with the Patriots, the Jets were man-handled the second time around with Sanchez throwing 4 INT's, 3 of them to one player, and no one on the defense being able to cover Wes Welker. The Jets came out with no energy and no passion from Ryan's teary eyed speech earlier in the week. The only guy from the team that showed up, Darrelle Reevis who held Randy Moss to 5 catches 43 yards and 1 TD, seems to be the only guy who shows up to play week in and week out. They played like a team with no heart, which is one of the problems.

I think that the bigger problem lies with the Rex Ryan. He is who is and I'm not asking him to change, nor should he. But his demeanor and swagger may have had his team and himself believing that they were better than they really are. I mean he is in his first year as a Head Coach, he does have a rookie QB, and most of the guys are playing in the defense for the first time. Not to mention they play in the same division as Tom Brady and the Patriots, the same Conference and Peyton Manning and the Colts, along with teams like the Chargers, Ravens, Steelers, and this year the surprise Bengals.

With all that said and the playoffs out of reach unless by some miracle the Jets run the table and the 6 teams ahead of them for the remaining 2 Wild Card spots all collapse, highly unlikely, they should concentrate on having fun for the remainder of the season. Ryan talked his team into a corner with his big-chested blabbering and the team's 3-0 start. They have failed to live up to the self-hype, and now there are no expectations to fulfill this season. So relax and go have fun, there is not much else to do. They Jets can't play any worse.

GIANTS GET BACK TO WINNING

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:52:00 +0000

I am not a homosexual, but I would have kissed Lawrence Tynes smack on the lips after his game-winning 36 yard Field Goal in OT to propel the Giants to a much-needed win if I had the opportunity. This after I wanted to punch him square in the face after he missed a 31 yard FG earlier in the game. But he, and the Giants as a team reddemed themselves this week.

It has been over a month since the New York football Giants have won a game. Oct. 11 at home against the Oakland Raiders was their last victory until yesterday. And while yesterday's win over the Atlanta Falcons was less than stellar, it was still a win, something which the Giants desperately needed.

After beginning the season high with 5 wins, and then going low with four losses, Eli Manning took the Giants on his back and showed everyone why the Giants paid Easy Eli $100 million in the offseason. On a day when the running game was shut down by the Atlanta's defense and the defense could not hold a 14 point lead in the fourth quarter (SURPRISE!!! - memo to you Sheridan), Eli Manning had a career day at Giants Staduim. For the first time in his career Manning threw for over 300 hundred yards at home. His final totals were 25-39, 384 yards, 3 TD's and 1 INT. Manning hit differeny receivers all over the field, and he finally found Kevin Boss in the Red Zone for a pair of scores. Boss who had his best day of the season finished with 5 catches 76 yards and 2 TD's. Mario Manninham also had a big day with 8 receptions for 126 yards including a 29 yards catch and run to setup Tynes for the game-winner in OT. This is the kind of prodcution Manningham can give when he isn't dropping the ball.

I'll give credit to Gilbride who made an honest attempt to restore the running game but the Falcons defense after being gashed the past several weeks decided that the Giants were not going to run on them. But by not abandoning the run too early, the play-action pass was still in effect and Eli torched Atlanta's secondary.

The offensive line needs to get together because they have not been playing like the unit we have been accustomed to seeing the last 2 years. Terrible blocking on both run and pass at times, moreso the running, and uncharacteristic penalties are hurting this them. In fact, penalties by the whole team have really been a problem the last several weeks.

The only down-side to yesterday's win was the defense. Having a 31-17 lead in the 4th Quarter and having to win the game in OT is inexcusable. This is now 2 game in a row that the defense has not been able to hold a lead late in the 4th Quarter. A few questions that I have for one Bill Sheridan, the Giants Defensive Coordinator:

On the last two Falcons drives, where was the rotation on the Defensive Line? As I recall, Tuck, Osi, Kiwanuka, and Robbins were out there for 95% of both drives. What's the point of being 8 or 9 guys deep at that position of not to have guys with fresh legs rushing the passer late in the game? The Falcons were obviously in passing mode being down 14 points in the 4th and so there should have D-Line subs every 2-3 plays. Clint Sintim, Dave Tollefson, Chris Canty, Bsrry Coefield and Rocky Bernard should have been rotated in during the last two drives because it was freakin obvious that the guys that were in there were tired and were getting nowhere close to Matt Ryan.

On a more postive note, I thought Chase Blackburn did a great job at Middle LB in place of Antonio Peirce. He did so on short notice and should get better over the remainder of the year as he gets the reps with the first team. It was good to see Aaron Ross out there. I saw that the Giants used him at Safety and Nickel back. As he gets healthier, I think that Bruce Johnson would be better suited for Safety because he got abused yesterday by Jenkins. Boley has a solid game and showed why we got him, tough assignment for anybody to cover Tony Gonzalez.

Its a short week for the G-Men as they head to Denver to face the struggling Broncos who have dropped 4 in a row for what should be a good game on Thanksgiving night. A quick preview:

Not sure what the health status is of Denver's QB's but that could play a big factor in this game. But no matter who is under center for the Broncos the Giants will need pressure up the middle all game because I don't trust their pass-defense against guys like Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, and Brandon Stokely. Eli will have to be extra careful with the ball against the crafty veteran secondary of the Broncos which yields a unit with Champ Bailey, Ty Law, and Brian Dawkins. Given time, I think that Manningham, Smith, and Nicks can do some damage against those guys. Denver is reeling and the Giants are feeling good after their win, Giants win 38-17.

IT HAS BEGUN...... MLB FREE AGENCY!!!!!!!

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:45:00 +0000

What, you thought Mortal Kombat was starting?????

Officially as of 12:01 AM today the MLB free agency period has started and we have already learned quite a few things that may determine the landscape of the offseason, assuming that everyone is telling the truth; players, agents, and teams.

First, Arte Moreno has made it clear that the Matt Holliday will not be an Angel. Ouch! Boy I'm sure that one really pissed Scott Boras. That takes one of the big 3 in the AL out of the running and now has probably decreased the value on Holliday. Imagine, the Angels said they would pursue Jason Bay instead, a guy who is older and according to just about everybody is a worse fielder. I think it might have something to do with the fact that Bay can hit AL pitching.

Second, John Lackey wants to starts negotiations at the Burnett deal, that is $82.5 million over 5 years is the jumping off point if you want to sign Lackey. And I'll bet a number of teams jumped right off the pursuit for Lackey once that statement was made. There have been talks of him getting Barry Zito money, 7 years $126 million, the Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins don't exist in the MLB, unless the Mets or some other desperate team makes him that ridiculous offer.

Jason Bay has already turned down a 4-year $60 million dollar offer from the Red Sox. Hard to imagine that a guy who is 31 and considered a sub-par defender would turn down that kind of money and turn down playing in a park that helps his defensive short-comings. Perhaps he and his agent are looking for a 5th year, or they think that Bay is worth 6 figures. Either way, the lack of a market for Holliday could drive the price for Bay up, it seems he is the more wanted man right now.

There are those who say that this year's free agent crop is nothing special compared to last year's or the potential for next year's. And while I agree that there are no instant impact players maybe with the exception of Lackey, there are a lot of players out there that can help teams that are already good.

I'll look for teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, Dodgers, and Phillies to not make splashy headlines with big acquisitions, but rather supplement there already talented rosters with role players that do the small things that are required to win championships. Its only day 1, and there is plenty of more interest in the offseason to go around.

KNICKS WON"T SIGN IVERSON

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:25:00 +0000

Allen Iverson as it turns out is not the answer for the Knicks. According to ESPN's Chris Sheridan http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4674184, a Knicks team official has said that the Knick will not be making an offer to the free agent guard.

In my opinion, I think the Knicks want to take some time to see how Eddie Curry fits in with the team and how they play with him in the lineup. Curry in his season debut had 10 points in 11 minutes.

There don't seem to be a lot of teams interested in Iverson at the moment and so it is possible that he could still be available in a few weeks time.

JETS' SEASON ON THE LINE

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:12:00 +0000

Well let's hope that Rex Ryan's tears sparks something in his team because they are going to need every bit of motivation to match the intensity of the New England Patriots this Sunday.

The Jets are reeling, there is no question about it. After beginning the season with a 3-0 record, they have lost 5 of their last 6 and their record now stands at 4-5 and their season down to one game. Now most Jets fans consider the season to be over because of the loss to the Jaguars just 5 days ago. However, I am not Jets fan and do not consider the Jets' season over just yet. Things can definately turn around for them with a victory this week, easier said than done.

I chided the Jets earlier this season for the trash-talking prior to their first meeting with the Patriots, but they did back it up with a win. That was a much different Patriots team than the one the Jets will play this week. In fact, much is different for both teams entering the second meeting:

Tom Brady is back to being Tom Brady.
Mark Sanchez is playing like a rookie.
The Patriots defense while still not great, is better.
Wes Welker is back for the Patriots.
Laurence Maroney is running the ball well.
The Jets do not have Kris Jenkins or Jim Leonard.
The Jets do have Braylon Edwards.
This game is in Foxboro.
The Patriots are coming off a humiliating defeat against the Colts.
The Jets are not coming in beating their chests, but rather with their chests beat in.
The Patriots coach has been criticized for trying to win a game.
The Jets coach has been laughed at because he cried in front of his team.
It is in the Patriots head that the Jets already beat them.

But it is the fact that the Patriots are back to being the Patriots that makes this game that much more important for the Jets.

Outside of the division leaders, there are 6 teams; Steelers, Chargers, Ravens, Jaguars, Texans, and Dolphins, that have a better record than the Jets, and they are all competing for 2 playoff spots. The Jets would have to run the table if they had any shot at the post season. Most would say impossible from looking at the Jets in recent weeks. But consider this, should the Jets pull off an incredible upset and beat the Patriots in Foxboro, why can't they run the table?

After a week in which there head coach poured his heart out to the team in an effort to inspire belief in his players, and with their backs against the wall, there is no reason to think that the Jets won't come out and leave everything on the field. And should it yield a victory, the Jets remaining schedule looks like this; vs. Panthers, at Bills, at Bucs, vs. Atlanta, at Colts, vs. Bengals. The first 4 are winnable games, especially if the Jets can ride the momentum of a win against the Patriots. And by the time they play the Colts and Bengals, those teams are likely to have playoff spots and maybe bye weeks sewn up and will probably rest their starters.

It's not impossible, and there are those who dare to imagine. The Jets have not inspired much confidence in their past couple of games, but one upset victory could be the beginning of something amazing. Of course that victory will be anything but easy since the Patriots have the bitter taste of last week's loss as well as the first loss to the Jets in their mouths.

BASEBALL FREE AGENCY LOOMING

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:05:00 +0000

The start of the free-agent period for baseball begins at approximately 12:01AM tonight or tomorrow morning depending how anal you are as a person. And while this year's crop of free-agents is not as star-studded as least year's, there is no shortage of intrigue as far as who is going to go where, or which team is going to do what. In particular, the two New York franchises who have money to spend, holes to fill, and very different free-agent successes.

The Mets have endured a rough 4-year stretch since the ending of the 2006 season the dismal 2009 season. Carlos Beltran looking at strike 3 that sends the Mets home from the playoffs, back-to-back years collapsing down the stretch failing to make the playoffs after having division leads in September, and this past season which was filled with lots of injuries, a new ballpark, and many strange headlines with regard to organizational management blaming their woes on media and wanting to fight their own players. But with the offseason comes new hope.

The Mets have money coming off the books and they have many needs if they are to change the ways of the past three years. And it all starts with pitching. They have the Grand Canyon of ballparks and therefore it is essential for the Mets to add a starter or two behind Johan Santanna and improve a bullpen that simply stinks up until you get to K-Rod. This should make signing both John Lackey and Jason Marquis top priority for the Mets. Marquis has already expressed his desire to come to the Mets and outbidding everyone for Lackey is something the Mets are capable of doing. That would give the Mets a solid 1-2 punch at the top of their rotation and create competition for the 3,4, and 5 spot among Marquis, Niese, Pelfrey, and Maine. The one that doesn't cut the mustard can be used as a long relief option in the bullpen. There are also a slew of quality relievers out there that the Mets should also look into in order to protect the leads that they get. Brandon Lyon and Rafael Betancourt are both capable setup guys who would provide instant improvement to a bullpen that has struggled for 3 years in a row. I know most Mets fans want them to trade for Roy Halladay but the Mets simply cannot do this. They have crippled themselves with similar moves in recent years, Johan Santanna and JJ Putz. To have to trade prospects (the Mets are clearly lacking a quality farm system) and then give a big contract extension is a double-whammy to an organization that cannot take a single-whammy at this point.

If the Mets strengthen their pitching, then there is less emphasis needed on getting a power bat. In that cavernous ballpark, the Mets should emphasize speed and line-drive hitters. Especially because both Jason Bay and Matt Holliday are Type-A free-agents which means that not only would you have to pay them big money, but forfeit draft picks, again double-whammy. With David Wright and Carlos Beltran coming back, the focus should on those second tier free agents that would supplement a lineup that is already pretty decent, when healthy that is. Additions like a Scott Podsednik to left field would provide good defense because of his speed as well as a guy to bat behind Jose Reyes in the 2 spot. Hank Blalock would be a nice addition to platoon first base with Daniel Murphy. Blalock a left bat who hit 25 HR's last year would fit in the 6th or 7th spot.

These move may not be popular, but they are the moves that the Mets should make. Upgrade the pitching staff both starting and the bullpen. The lineup if supplemented correctly through free-agency and with the players that they have, should fit nicely with their ballpark.

The only remaining questions are can Omar Minaya be expected to make the right moves? Nothing he has done recently inspires any faith. The other question is can Jerry Manuel bring a small-ball type strategy to a team that could not do so last year playing with a triple-A team? He used the injury card all year last year, what will be the excuse if the Mets fail this year? Lots of questions and issues surrounding this franchise and hopefully smart decisions starting tomorrow will the beginning of a turn-around.

ALLEN IVERSON: IS HE REALLY THE ANSWER????

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:39:00 +0000

For the struggling 2009 Knicks, the answer happens to be "The Answer" Allen Iverson. With Eddie Curry making an impressive debut last night with his slimmed-down self, the Knicks need to sign Iverson to a one-year deal.

Forget all the bullshit coming out of people's mouths that Iverson will hinder the development of the Knicks' young players. BLAH BLAH BLAH!!!! The Knicks cannot get any worse than they are right now. The only thing that Iverson would do is limit the minutes that Larry Hughes and Chris Duhon would get which is a good thing. As Curry works his way back to being the low-post threat the Knicks so desperately need, having Iverson handle the ball with an outside shooter like Gallo would make the Knicks watchable, and dare I say possible contenders among the Eastern Conference bottom-feeders that will be fighting over the 7-8 seeds. The answer is yes!!!!

Mix in the double-double man himself David Lee and some scoring here and there from the likes of Harrington, Chandler, Douglas and Robinson and the Knicks can win games. Not to mention the drive to win that Iverson would bring to this dead-beat team. In addition, signing him to a 1-year deal does not effect the plans of 2010 and his presence on the outside might free up room on the inside for Curry. If Eddie Curry and string together a stretch of games where he shows he can be a legitimate lost-post threat again, Walsh can dangle him out there to teams who are thinking championship and need a Center. Thus freeing up even more cap space, enough to attract 2 stars instead of 1.

Make the deal Walsh and get Iverson here, we know its all about the summer but we Knicks fans are about ready to gouge out eyes out if the team we have been watching is the team we have to watch the rest of the year. The short-term answer is "The Answer", go and get him.

OH THOSE DREADFUL KNICKS

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:13:00 +0000

Since Donnie Walsh has taken over the Knicks, he has said that it is all about getting under the cap and the free-agent class of 2010. As a Knick fan I bought it because of what had transpired in years past that put the franchise in the state that it was in when Walsh took over.

Let's revisit some of the moves and decisions made from years past:

Scott Layden and his decision to give large contracts to the like of aging stars Allan Houston and Larry Johnson crippled the Knicks in the long term as both players were being paid guranteed money long after they were done playing. Couple that with moves of trading Patrick Ewing for I don't even remember who, trading Glenn Rice for the hefty contracts of bum players like Howard Eisley and Shandon Anderson, drafting and then trading Nene for Antonio McDyess who did not play a game as a Knick, and much more. Now as bad as these moves were and as bad a flux the team was in, it was still fixable over a short period of time. Welcome Isaiah Thomas!!

Upon his arrival, he decided that it would be impossible to get under the cap, so he decided to take on as much cap as possible with the least amount of talent possible, while sacrificing future draft picks, a great plan to run a franchise into the ground, even one in New York. The disaster that was the Marbury trade that is still having lingering effects today as the lottery-bound Knicks do not have a first rounder in the coming draft. He took on contracts of Penny Hardaway and sacrificed unprotected first round picks that could have yielded a Brandon Roy or LaMarcus Aldridge (had Chicago with the Knicks picks taken them) for Eddie Curry. While buried in cap he decided to give Jared Jeffries a contract that doubled in value because of the luxury tax. He traded away the expiring contract of Hardaway and the young, talented Trevor Ariza for Steve Francis at the behest of then coach Larry Brown, another brilliant move. The signings of Jerome James and Jamal Crawford, trading for Zach Randolph, and never establishing a true team with any kind of chemistry or core. Enter Donnie Walsh.

His first move was hiring a player-friendly coach in Mike D'Antoni who is friends with just about every player in the NBA except for Stephon Marbury, whoops, I forgot that Marbury is not in the NBA at the current moment. Yet, for some reason that guys keeps yapping his gums about the Knicks, as if he did so much for the team while he was here. And hey Marbury I guess we all missed something, your so good that no team in the NBA wants you. In addition to the hiring of D'Antoni, whose system made Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph look like All-Star's and tradeable, Donnie Walsh has finally gotten the Knicks under the cap. They are now in a position to target free-agents who can come in and make an instant impact on the team.

The only thing they must do now is play all the young guys. Al Harrington, Larry Hughes, Chris Duhon, Nate Robinson, and/or David Lee are all likely not to be here next year, so why are they getting all of the minutes???? There is this season, and this season alone for LeBron, Wade, Bosh and all the others to see what kind of cast they will they have around them should they come to New York. The starting 5 should include Tony Douglas, Wilson Chandler, Gallo, and Jordan Hill, and they should all be 30-35 minutes a night. This is the year for them to learn and get better. There is no making the playoffs anyway so you might as well get the young guys on the floor as much as possible. That equation only changes if and when Eddie Curry gets back on the floor in hopes that a team like the Jazz, Nuggets, Toronto, or Dallas need a low post presence in their effort to make a run in the playoffs. If the Knicks can get Curry and/or Jeffries off the books, they are guranteed to land 2 free-agents in the summer. Perhaps you could then convince LeBron and Wade to both come here, or some combination of all the stars that will be testing the market.

Play the young guys and lets see what they have to offer. Douglas has impressed, Gallo has shown flashes, Hill the other night looked with the exception of the fouls, and Chandler needs to be on the floor much more if he is to have a breakout game soon. We know that its all about 2010 but you gotta make 2009 somewhat entertaining, this team is not even watchable right now.

GIANTS HAVE THEIR BEST WEEK IN A WHILE

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:54:00 +0000

Low and behold the New York Giants had their best week since the Oakland Raiders game and they did not even have to step on the field.

This past weekend the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and Atlanta Falcons all lost, and not just their games either. With the losses of Dallas and Philly, the Giants climbed into a second-place tie with the Eagles and are just one game back of the division leading Cowboys. The Eagles may have lost Brian Westbrook for the season due to a concussion and the Cowboys lost OL Marc Columbo for the season to a broken fibula. Meanwhile the Giants were home, and hopefully getting healthy both physically and mentally.

Last week Aaron Ross was able to practice for the first time in ages. We all know how much help the secondary needs right now. Hopefully, this can place Terrell Thomas or Bruce JOhnson permanently at Safety. Boley and Canty, the expensive off-season pickups played against the Chargers to shake off rust and with the extra week should be ready to go the rest of the way. And most importantly, the whole team was away from football and hopefully took the time they needed to relax and not think too much about the 4-game losing streak. Hopefully the coaching staff also got their minds right and came up with a solid gameplan for the Atlanta Falcons.

Speaking of the Falcons, they also lost which dropped them to 5-4, same record as the Giants. More importantly Michael Turner injured his ankle and may be out against the Giants, and Matt Ryan is also struggling at the moment. For the first time this year the Giants have caught a huge break in that they are back in the division race, coming off a bye, and playing a team that may be without its best offensive weapon when it comes to the Meadowlands in 6 days.

Now go out there, beat the Falcons, re-establish yourselves, and make a run at the playoffs like you are capable of doing.

WHAT THE YANKEES SHOULD DO NOW

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:14:00 +0000

Now that the Yankees have won their 27th World Series, here are some thoughts on the season and what they should do this winter in order to repeat as champs.

This season we saw a lot from these Yankees, the core four were as reliable as ever, especially during the World Series, free agents to-be Damon and Matsui made Yankee personnel decisions even tougher after the playoffs, A-Rod is a completely different player, we saw some young talent develop that could play big roles in the upcoming season, and the the free agents we signed last year have been worth every penny thus far.

Now comes the offseason and the Yankees have some decisions to make about the upcoming season. The Yankeed should let Nady, Molina, Guzman, Hairston, and Hinske walk, all can easily be replaced by younger, better, more athletic players. Cervelli will take up the backup catcher position, Ramiro Pena can serve as a super-utility role-player. The Yankees should make 1-year offers to Pettite and Damon. If and only if Damon does not take the 1-year offer, then make the 1-year offer to Matsui.

I think that Yankees should stay away from Matt Holiday, Jason Bay, John Lackey, and Curtis Granderson. I think that a trade for Roy Halladay is a must. With the Derek Jeter negotiations looming next year, as well as a potential bidding war with Red Sox over Joe Mauer, it would be in the Yankees best interest to acquire Halladay now before they lose out on him to somebody else. Especially if Damon takes a multi-year deal elsewhere and Pettite decides to retire, it makes the most sense. Potential trade chips could be either Joba or Hughes packaged along with: Cano and two minor leaguers, or Melky/Romine or Montero, or Austin Jackson.

A frontline pitching staff of Halladay, CC, AJ, with Wang hopefully back by May and a bullpen with Robertson, Coke, Marte, Hughes/Joba, and Mo, together with the Yankee lineup pretty much guarantees a repeat in 2010.

GIANTS PLAYING LIKE CHUMPS

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:49:00 +0000

Never mind that Safety Kenny Phillips is out for the year, Aaron Ross has not played yet, their current safeties cannot do anything, and Michael Boley is out which the likes of Brent Celek will torch them. The Giants are playing like a bunch of punks!!!!! And on every side of the ball!!!!

Its well understood that the secondary is hurting, but the front seven is pretty healthy and the pass happy Eagles gashed them for 180 yards, most of them right up the middle. Where is the run-defense????? Where is the pressure on the QB???? Why are you playing zone coverage, blitzing your linebackers and dropping your pass rushers into coverage when the opposing team has the ball on their own 40???????? I'll tell you why, so that you can give up the easiest 50-yard TD to DeSean Jackson I have even seen. There is no pressure and the opposing recievers are running wide open. Just what are the Giants doing on defense?????????

And offense, they can't run consistently, every time they pass it seems like every reciever is double-covered, and they show no urgency whatsoever!!!!!!!!

I have never played football in my life and I can sit in my home and tell you exactly what the Giants are doing on offense. They lineup, Eli does not run the play called, he audibles every FUKIN play!!!!! And his audible is no secret, when he identifies the Mike LInebacker, they are running the ball, and the Omaha signal means that the next "Hike" is live. Now if I can figure that out, you would think that professional coaches can see it too.

And then they are down 33-7 in the third quarter and they are huddling and taking their precious time getting to the line. Then when it is 40-17 with 3 minutes left in the game, you see Coughlin telling them to hurry-up? Are you fucking kidding me????? Giants should have been in the no-huddle from the beginning of the second half until the the game was done because they couldn't get anything going on offense.

I don't know what kind of gameplan Coughlin and his coaches are drawing up but they better fix it and fast because another blowout is looming with the Chargers coming to Giants Stadium next, then after the bye they have Atlanta, at Denver 3 days later, Dallas, Philly, at Washington, Carolina, and then they finish at Minnesota.

Word to the Giants players and coaches:

GET YOUR FUCKING SHIT TOGETHER AND PLAY THE WAY YOU ARE CAPABLE OF PLAYING, STOP BEING PREDICTABLE AND PLAY LIKE YOU GIVE A DAMN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YANKS TAKE A 3-1 SERIES LEAD

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:16:00 +0000

Well after 4 games the Yankees lead the Phillies 3 games to 1 in the World Series. And make no bones about it, its all about pitching and a few heads up plays.

After AJ Burnett pitched a gem in Game 2 to help even the series at 1 game apiece, the Yankee bats finally awoke in Game 3, especially that of Nick Swisher's. Andy Pettite easily outpitched Cole Hammels and even had an RBI single himself off of Hammels to score Swisher. The Yankeed bullpen finished the job with Mariano Rivera getting a 6 out save.

Game 4 provided a bit more drama and by far has been the best game in this series thus far. The Yankees jumped out on Joe Blanton for 2 quick runs in the top of the 1st. The Phillies answered with 1 in the bottom of the inning against CC Sabbathia. However, through the rest of the game, every time the Phillies landed a punch, the Yankees would immediately counter-punch, until Johnny Damon delivered a staggering 3-hit combo in the top of 9th, followed by a right-cross by A-Rod, and then the knockout blow by Posada.

You have to like the Phillies aggression with Ryan Howard getting a steal and eventually coming around to score to tie the game at 2. The top of the Phillies lineup has struggled mightly with Rollins, Victorino, and Utley all batting sub .200 for the series and Ryan Howard approaching the dubious strikeout record for a World Series. The Phillies have to find their offense and fast if they want to make this World Series even close.

But referring back to my lead, its been all about pitching. The Phillies got a stellar performance out of Cliff Lee in game 1 where he pitched 9 innings and did not give up an earned run. They won. The next game AJ Burnett pitched 7 innings allowing 1 run, and while Pedro Martinez pitched good, he was outdueled by Burnett, the Yankees won. Game 3 Andy Pettite pitched great and Cole Hammels did not, Yankees win again.

Game 4 was something different. With the Yankees leading 4-3 with 2 out in the 7th inning and Sabbathia still on the hill, Chase Utley steps up to the plate and smacks a solo home-run. Surprise, it's only the third time he has done that off of Sabbathia, but here is the real stat, in this series against Sabbathia Utley is 4-6 with 3 HR's, the rest of the Phillies lineup is 7-45 no HR's. The Phillies have launched 7 HR's in this series, but all have been solo HR's. Pedro Feliz contributed the 7th solo shot off of Joba Chamberlain in the bottom of the 8th after Joba struck out the Werth and Ibanez. Twice the Phillies had a mini - two - out rally. The game was not tied heading into the 9th inning with Brad Lidge taking the mound.

Lidge gets the first two outs against Hideki Matsui and Mr. November Derek Jeter, no easy task in a clutch situation. But then Johnny Damon came to bat and would transpire next is probably one the gratest things to ever happen in the World Series and in baseball history. After a 9-pitch at bat, Damon lines a single to left. With 2 outs and a man on first Mark Teixeira comes up to bat and the Phillies put the shift on Teixeira with him being a pull-hitter from the left side. On the very first pitch to Teixeira Damon takes off for second, the throw to second by Ruiz is late and fielded by third baseman Feliz. Damon is safe at second and with Lidge on the mound and no one to cover third base, Johnny Damon pops to his feet and takes off for third, which he takes with ease. TWO STOLEN BASES ON ONE PITCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AMAZING!!!!!!!!! At that the moment the Phillies lost all momentum they had from the game-tying HR to Lidge getting Matsui and Jeter out. Next he hits Teixeira, and then serves a fastball over the plate to A-Rod who line an RBI double to left. Second and third 2 outs. Next Jorge Posada lines a 2 RBI single and gets thrown out trying to take 2nd. Enter Mariano Rivera, Yankees take a 3-1 lead.

Coming into this series these teams were as evenly matched as you could get with minor advantages here and there. But right now the Yankees are simply playing better. They are getting the timely hits, the top of their lineup is producing, and their pitching has been better with the exception of Cliff Lee. Lee take the mound tonight against Burnett which promises to be a duel, but Phillies have their back against the wall and have to literally come out swinging. Their season is on the line, and the Yankees could not be playing better.

WORLD SERIES GAME 1

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:09:00 +0000

Cliff Lee absolutely dominated the Yankees in Game 1 last night. There is just not much else to say about last night's game. He had the Yankees confused and kept them on their heels all night long. Kudos to Jeter to had three hits off Lee.

Sabbathia pitched well. Not as sharp as he had been in the previous three starts but battled throughout the whole game. Was able to get out of a big jam in the 1st inning but never really settled down. The two runs he gave up were on the two worst pitches he threw the entire night. Twice he had 2 strikes on Utley and twice he served him a fastball over the middle of the plate and Utley crushed them both, especially the second one.

Tonight bids the son of the Yankees, Pedro Martinez against A.J. Burnett. Burnett needs to be at the top of his game tonight, much like the his last start minus the first inning. Hinske should be starting in right field tonight, Nick Swisher can get hit by a car for all I care. Knowing Girardi though, it would not surprise me to see Swisher in right, Girardi has some kind of boner for the guy.

Pedro was solid in last outing against the Dodgers however he does not have nearly the same stuff as Lee. The Yankees should be able to pound on Martinez and get him out of the game early. Of course Molina will be in the lineup so it does kind of give Pedro an NL lineup to face with the automatic out at the end. All the more reason that Swisher should ride the pine for this one.

Let's hope that the Yankees even this one up before heading to Philly. Go Yanks!!!!!!!!!!!!

WEEK 4 in the NFL & PICKS

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:53:00 +0000

So in Week 4 the bye weeks begin, we can start to separate the pretenders and contenders, and it is the last hope for any team who has started off poorly to correct the ship and start making a run. Some tougher games to call so I imagine that following my 14-2 week will not go smoothly... we'll make a run at it anyway...

Giants at Chiefs

Giants are still in the "cupcake" part of their schedule. They beat the holy hell out of the Bucs without 8 or so regulars. This week they should be getting Dockery and Nicks back, and Justin Tuck will probably start. Look for Brandon Jacobs to run over a soft Chiefs defense after all the criticsm the guy faced last week in running for 92 yards and a TD. This could be a classic trap game but Tom Coughlin has this team focused after the wat things ended last year. Giants in a route 44-14.

Jets at Saints

This matchup pits the leagues 3rd best defense against the best offense. Should be a shitload of fun watching Drew Brees and the Saints passing offense against the blitzing Jets defense. Look for Greg Williams to harass Mark Sanchez with varied blitzes from everywhere. This marks Jonathan Vilma's first game against the Jets since they traded him so look for him to have a big game. The Jets are away and might have a thin secondary with Lito Sheppard and Donald Strickland both likely out. That does not bode well going up against the Saints wideouts, Saints win 31-17.

Raiders at Texans

Both of these teams have been hard to figure out. Overall the Texans have played better and they are home. Should a tough defensive game. Texans win 20-17.

Titans at Jaguars

I can't imagine a Jeff Fisher team going 0-4, however if they do it might be time to reassert Vince Young at starting QB. Jaguars played well in a win last week but they are a re-building team and the Titans should be angry because they have given away 3 wins by beating themselves. Titans win 21-10.

Ravens at Patriots

This game does not hold the same interest as it did 2 years ago. Brady is still not himself, the status if Wes Welker is uncertain, and the Patriots defense is patchwork. The Ravens defense not as dominant as they once were but they do not have to be thanks to a prolific offense led by Joe Flacco. Ravens win a close game 26-23.

Bengals at Browns

Browns are horrible. Eric Mangini is an idiot. Bengals actually resemble a football team and are playing well. This team is still young and a win over the Steelers last week may have gone to their heads. Nonetheless, they are playing the Browns who named Derek Anderson the starter after he entered last week's game and threw 3 INT's. Smart move. Bengals win 30-21.

Lions at Bears

Yes Detroit actually won a game. But its not going to result in a streak. They go into Chicago and keep it close the entire game. Bears win 27-21.

Bucs at Redskins

I picked the Lions to upset the Redskins last week because of how poorly the Redskins played the week before against the Rams. Clinton Portis is banged up, $100 million dollar man Haynesworth has not made their defense better, and Jim Zorn is a pubic hair away from being fired. The Bucs change at QB should provide some spark to their offense. My upset pick Bucs over Redskins 10-7.

Seahawks at Colts

This game is not even fair. Seahawks have a ton of injuries on both sides of the ball and Peyton Manning looks as good as he's ever been. Colts in a blowout 49-19.

Bills at Dolphins

Dolphins lost Chad Pennington for the year. The Bills are getting Marshawn Lynch back an should be able to have some kind of running game which will open things up downfield for Owens and Evans, if Trent Edwards is upright long enough to get it to them. Bills win 20-10.

Rams at 49ers

Despite Frank Gore being out, the 49ers showed last week that they are a good team and still probably have a bitter taste in their mouths after that last-second loss to the Vikings. Rams are still searching for answers everywhere. 49ers win 28-13.

Cowboys at Broncos

Conventional wisdom says to pick the Cowboys because the Broncos have not really beaten anybody, the Browns, the Raiders and the Bengals by fluke. But, they are 3-0, they are playing good defense and Kyle Orton does not turn the ball over. The Cowboys will porbably be thin at RB which means Romo throwing more which means the greater possibility of INT's. Broncos upset the Cowboys 21-20.

Chargers at Steelers

Chargers are banged up on defense, particularly on the front seven. This should allow the Steelers to find their running game. However, without the long-haired missile Troy Polamalu, Rivers should have a field day throwing to Gates, Chambers, and Jackson. Chargers win 27-17.

Packers at Vikings

Easily the most interesting game of the week. Probably will be the most watched game of the week, no need for me to tell you why. If this one is close as it winds down, expect to see what you saw last week with Favre working last second magic. I don't think it will be that close in the 4th quarter. Green Bay wins 28-20.

Bye Week: Cardinals, Eagles, Falcons, Panthers

Cheers!!!!!

NFL POWER RANKINGS

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:02:00 +0000

It's about time I dabbled in the Power Rankings area of the NFL. So after Week 3 here's what I think.

1. Ravens
2. Giants
3. Colts
4. Vikings
5. Colts
6. Jets
7. Patriots
8. Eagles
9. Packers
10. Falcons
11. 49ers
12. Bengals
13. Broncos
14. Bears
15. Chargers
16. Cowboys
17. Cardinals
18. Steelers
19. Texans
20.Seahawks
21. Jaguars
22. Bills
23. Panthers
24. Titans
25. Dolphins
26. Redskins
27. Lions
28. Raiders
29. Chiefs
30. Bucs
31. Browns
32. Rams

NFL WEEK 3 ANALYSIS/REACTION

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:41:00 +0000

Week 3 provided for some interesting thoughts on the NFL season thus far. Three division winners from last year have yet to win a game, a couple of teams expected to be be terrible are winning games, and the Detroit Lions have finally won a game. Let's get to it....

My record this week: 14-2 (check Week 3 picks post if you don't believe me)

Bengals beat the Steelers 23-20. The Steelers can't run the ball and the defense is not the same with Troy Polamalu. Carson Palmer is back and the Bengals look to be for real, sould be 3-0 if not for that fluke play in Week 1. This was one of my 2 losses.

Detroit over the Redskins 19-14. Detroit played tough defense and Matthew Stafford it progressing every week. Jim Zorn and Jason Campbell won't be back after this season, Daniel Snyder will go spend another $100 million and the Redskins will be just as bad next year no matter who their coach is.

Packers beat the Rams 36-17. Rams made a mistake not drafting Mark Sanchez. They have no way of taking the pressure off of Steven Jackson. A game that the Packers needed heading into their showdown with the Vikings.

Vikings beat the 49ers 27-24. Yes, Bret Favre still has it throwing the game winning TD with the clock winding down. Tremendous catch by Greg Lewis. 49ers lost Frank Gore in the 1st Quarter and remained competitive the entire game. This team is for real and with one victory over the Cardinals already they just might win the NFC West.

Patriots win over the Falcons 26-10. Tom Brady still getting his footing. He needs to get on the same page as Joey Galloway and Wes Welker needs to get on the field. Anyway, never bet that Bellichick/Brady team will ever lose two games in a row. Matt Ryan and the Falcons are good but they are not on the upper echelon just yet, they could be there by the end of the year.

Jets beat the Titans 24-17. Jets defense continue to play well however they did allow Tennessee to come back with 17 points after taking a 14-0 lead. Mark Sanchez continues to play well, Jets need to run the ball better. Tennessee might want to think about bringing Vince Young in because Kerry Collins looks like a statue in the pocket.

Eagles beat the Chiefs 34-14. Kevin Kolb looks real good. The QB controversy in Philly may between Kolb and McNabb. Good to see Michael Vick out there, but it will take some time for him to be effective. Chiefs coach Todd Haley needs to stop getting into shouting matches with his players on the sideline, they have a lot of young talent and could be good in the years to come.

Giants dominate the Bucs 24-0. Giants look real good. All the talk from those dumb-ass analysts about whose gonna replace Plaxico has gone away. Teams cannot cover Steve Smith and Mario Manningham 1-1 and if they double either 1, the running game is opened up. Giants defense finally all got on the same page. Bucs should have made a QB change at half time, this team is staring at 1-15.

Ravens blowout Browns 34-3. Did this one really surprise anyone. Eric Mandumb-ass is an idiot. Fining a player $1,700 for a bottle of water? WTF?!?!?!?! This team will go 0-16 because he has lost them already. Ravens finally have a dynamic offense to go with a dominant defense. If the Steelers fall out of contention early, the AFC road to the Super Bowl will go through Baltimore.

Jaguars beat the Texans 31-24. These are two teams I can't figure out. They both look, then look terrible. Neither is going anywhere, except that the Jags might be heading out of Jacksonville.

Bears beat the Seahawks 25-19. WTF was up the Seahawks uniforms?!?!?!?! Cutler continues to lead the Bears offense who will have to score with the defense being not as good. The NFC North race will be the most interesting as the season unfolds.

Saints win over the Bills 27-7. No TD's for Drew Brees but the Saints still put up 27. The most dangerous thing is that they got their running game going, which makes the Saints offense that much more dangerous. The no-huddle/T.O. experiment is failing miserably in Buffalo.

Broncos beat the Raiders 23-3. Broncos keep winning but they have beaten two bad teams and got lucky against another. Hard to determine if they are for real or just look against bad teams. Orton does not turn the ball over and the defense is playing well, I am anxious to see them against better teams. Raiders are awful, just awful.

Chargers beat the Dolphins 23-13. Chargers again look unimpressive in a win. They do not look as dominant as they should be. Dolphins' season is over, they are 0-3 and Chad Pennington is out for the year. The only positive that could come out of this is that Chad Henne will give the Dolphins the ability to throw the ball beyond 30 yards downfield.

Colts dominate over the Cardinals 31-10. Peyton Manning is the best QB in the modern Era of the NFL. He loses Marvin Harrison, Anthony Gonzalez is out for a few weeks, and Reggie Wayne gets doubled and he still throws for 3oo yards and 4 TD's. Cardinals need to find a running game. They can't run against a 6-man front which means double teams for Larry Fitz and Boldin.

Cowboys beat the Panthers 21-7. Cowboys defense looked good against a bad offense. Romo and the Dallas offense looked much better against a mediocre defense. Panthers have no running game and no other weapon outside of Steve Smith. Smith was doubled all night and the Panthers could not do anything. I don't know who their backup QB is but it is time to give him a shot. Jake Delhomme looks terrible; no zip on his passes, looks flustered in the pocket, and keeps turning the ball over with interceptions and lost fumbles.

The Dolphins, Titans, and Panthers who all won their divisions last year are all 0-3. This week you have the 3-0 high-powered offense Saints against the 3-0 stifling defense of the Jets. Monday Night Bret Favre as a Viking going against the Packers, a must watch. Other interesting matchup is Baltimore at New England. More later in the week.

Cheers!!!!!!!!!!

REACTION TO GIANTS vs BUCS

mr.jeremylalji@gmail.com (Jeremy Lalji) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:48:00 +0000

If I didn't know better, I would never have guessed that Giants were injury-ravages heading into their game against the Bucs. Quite a few players were Inactive and Justin Tuck was limited but it did not matter, the Giants wanted dominate and they did just that.

Some will say that they beat a bad team. So what? Isn't that the mark of a good team? To beat teams you are supposed to beat? It is, and the Giants did not just beat the Bucs, they obliterated the Bucs.

The score may have been only 24-0, but it was a decisive 24-0. The Giants came into this game without, Domenik Hixon, Hakeem Nicks, Danny Ware, Chris Canty, Aaron Ross, Kevin Dockery, and Kenny Philips who they just lost for the season. Justin Tuck was not 100% and played only on pass-rushing downs.

It was okay, the Giants got the running game going, the run-defense was stifling and they were able to score in the Green Zone on 2 occasions. Eli Manning continues to show how good he is, Steve Smith is developing into legitimate No. 1 receiver, and the defense finally looked like the Giants defense.

With players getting healthy over the course of the next 2 weeks while the Giants schedule remains soft, this team should be a force to be reckoned with once all the hurt players get back. More on this game tomorrow along with my Week 3 Analysis/Reaction.

Cheers!