The Rangers Get a Heart Transplant

As the New York Rangers started their series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, they were staring fate right in the face.  They had never beaten the Penguins in a best of seven series.   Not in 1989, 1992 or 1996.  

As the series progressed, they were booed off the ice in Game 4 to go down 3-1, and were looking at another, larger issue.

Sixteen times the Rangers have been down in a series 3-1 - with zero wins.  In the almost 90 years of existence, the Rangers have never come back from a 3-1 playoff deficit.   Sixteen times.  This includes Stanley Cup Finals losses to the Bruins in 1972 and Canadiens in 1979.  There were no comebacks in the 70’s against the Blackhawks; 80’s against the Flyers and Islanders; 90’s against the Penguins and 00’s against Devils.   Zero, nada, zilch.

Well, all the boogeymen can go back into the closet!  The Rangers are officially one of “those” teams.  Teams that come back against the odds.  Teams that pull off upsets.  

They’re now a successful underdog.

The Rangers defeat of the Penguins in a seven-game roller coaster of a series could potentially mark a turning point in the team’s history.  Exorcizing two demons in a series, the Rangers survived consecutive shut outs and being booed off their home ice.  They overcame the sudden passing of the mother of one of their influential (if not newer) leaders, Martin St. Louis.   They were simply as un-Ranger-like as they could possibly be – gritty, tough, and self-sacrificing.  The Rangers showed more heart in the final three games of this series then at any time since 1994.   

St. Louis started the turn around, but was nowhere near ice when he made the biggest decision of the series.  Citing his mother’s and family’s wishes, he chose to play Game 5 with the Rangers down 3-1.   The team went from a demoralized, exhausted, twice shut out group to an inspired, energized, dedicated group, taking the emotional edge from their new leader’s example.   

Of course it didn’t hurt to have the hot goalie.  Henrik Lundquist proved himself to be as solid as a rock, stopping shot after point-blank shot from one of the best finishing teams in the NHL.  In comparison, Penguin goalie Marc-Andre Fleury  went from being a wall to being a sieve, as Chris Kreider put one in from an impossible angle (for a left-hand shot) to start the Game 5 scoring and Carl Hagelin beat him with a savable backhand in Game 6 (after a St. Louis kick in put the Rangers up 1-0).  By the time Game 7 started, I’m sure Penguin coach Dan Bylsma wished he had Tom Barrasso between the pipes – even in is current, 49 year-old, retired condition.  

I know that the playoffs are only half over, but for a lifelong Ranger fan, overcoming two historical issues in one series, is enough to get one hopeful.  That is, until we have to deal with Carey Price, Subban, Gionta, Briere . . .

Just Sayin’

Steve Kerr realized that coaching the Knicks was as good for you as a Shake Shack hamburger.

I never thought Dr. James Andrews would be the Yanks MVP.  I also never thought I would need to learn how to spell Yangervis.  

Does it mean anything that I’m more excited about the Giants’ UFA’s than their draft picks?  Defensive linemen Emmanuel Dieke from Georgia Tech and Kelcy Quarles from South Carolina will make the team.  

Fantasy Football Update:  With the addition of Aaron Donald, I’m touting the Rams D/ST.  All the teams in the NFC West are in the Top 10 D/ST easy. 

“Sometime in 2015” The Yanks will Do the Right Thing

On May 8^th the Yankees announced that they will retire Joe Torre’s number.  This was as inevitable as the sun rising in the morning, delayed only by Torre’s Dodger fiasco and Hamlet act regarding his next job.  The Yanks also announced that they will honor Rich “Goose” Gossage, Tino Martinez and Paul O’Neill during the Old Timers Day weekend celebrations with plaques in Memorial Park.  They included the following footnote in their press release:

Bernie Williams will be honored “sometime in 2015.”

Huh?  Bernie was the homegrown, quiet heartbeat of the 90’s dynasty.  He was the de facto leader, and star centerfielder.  Sure Tino and Paulie provided great moments as Yankees.  Goose had one of the greatest games in Yankee history – no Yankee fan alive at the time will forget the 1978 playoff game against Boston and Gossage’s 2 2/3 innings of relief to get the save.  (Goose was also infamous for getting his ass kicked by Cliff Johnson in 1979 and missing two months after injuring his thumb in the fight.)   However, these three all came from somewhere else (and in Gossage’s case ended somewhere else).   

In a time where it’s almost impossible to find an original Yankee, honoring Williams should take precedence, especially considering his highly successful career and classy demeanor.  Williams was a lifetime .297 hitter with over 2,300 hits; 127 playoff games with 22 postseason home runs; was the ALCS MVP (1996); won a batting title (1998); a Silver Slugger (2002) four Gold Gloves; six pennants and four rings.  During the 1998 season, in which the Yankees went 114–48 to set a then American League regular season record, Williams became the first player to win a batting title, Gold Glove award, and World Series ring in the same year.

Sounds like no one should ever wear his number again.   

Williams came up through the dark days of the early 90’s and became the first original star in the transitional period between the Don Mattingly era and the 90’s dynasty.  As the Yankees celebrated the existence and departure of the “Core Four” of Jeter, Rivera, Posada and Pettitte, let’s not forget that there was an original one – actually 51.   

Just Sayin’

So Odell Beckham, Jr. joins the Giants to become the next Greg Jennings?  Donald Driver?  Hakeem Nicks? Rocky Thompson?

No piling on the Rangers today – there’s still more hockey to be played and I just found out that Martin St. Louis’ mom passed away.  

Phil Jackson, think hard on this next decision.  It might be nice to try and get a younger assistant from another team than try to build Steve Kerr into a coach.

Fantasy Football Update: With Sammy Watkins picked up by the Bills, I’d like to amend my previous prediction.  

It’s Getting Drafty

With the NFL draft coming up next week, I thought I would spend some time reminiscing about the Giant’s bounty of number one picks in the past 25 years.  In my research, I have discovered why the 90’s seemed to be the Lost Decade of Giants number one picks:

• 1991 – Jarrod Bunch, Fullback, Michigan – Seriously, even in 1991, who would take a
  
  fullback with a number one pick even if it was the last pick in the first round?    By the way, six picks later the Falcons took a second round flyer on Brett Favre.
• 1992 – Derek Brown, Tight End, Notre Dame – Ah yes, the Mark Bavarro replacement taken at pick 14 . . . until they found out he wasn’t  quite as skilled as say, pick number 157, All-Pro (and hot tub aficionado) Mark Chmura.
• 1994 – Thomas Lewis, Wide Receiver, Indiana – Indiana?  We’re picking players from Indiana football?  Mr. Lewis’ claim to fame was that Bill Walsh “really liked him” and would have taken him at 28 (the Giants picked 24^th).   Something tells me that the
  
  Niners would have still taken William (Bar None) Floyd.  Pick 33 that year?  Isaac Bruce. 
• 1996 – Cedric Jones, Defensive End, Oklahoma – Much better, back to picking kids from football schools.  Wait, what do you mean he’s blind in one eye and WE DIDN’T KNOW!?!  Mr. Jones is noted as one of the Top 100 Worst Draft Choices of all time.  The absolute low point of Giant scouting, the Giants took Jones with the 6^th pick and passed on Eddie George, Marvin Harrison, and Ray Lewis just in the first round.

Of course, these picks were sandwiched around HOF defensive end Michael Strahan and two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, but that just demonstrates the vagaries of the draft.  You think crunching all those numbers is a science?  You try reconciling game tapes, combine workouts, pro day workouts, private workouts, individual interviews, what friends say, how their mothers treated them, and who they took to the prom (in Michael Sam’s case this could be misleading).   It’s a crap shoot the size of Tony Mandarich.  As my old friend DD from Belmont used to tell me, “you can’t trust anything that talks.”

Just ask Rocky Thompson.  He’s the wide receiver the Giants took in the first round, pick number 18 in the 1971 draft.  In two years, he averaged 250 total yards per year.   Pick 19 was HOF DB Jack Tatum; pick 20, All-Pro Jack Youngblood.  Ugh.

Just Sayin’

As a Knick fan, you have some hope that James Dolan will get into some Donald Sterling-like trouble.  Of course, with their luck, Donald Trump would buy the team.

Time to exorcise some demons Rangers.  They’ve never beaten the Pens in a best of seven series.  My heart says Rangers in 6. 

One month in and the Yanks are still in first place.  Stop the season.  No, I’m serious, stop it now before someone else gets hurt.  

Fantasy Football Update:  With all the changes in personnel and teams, there will be serious studying going on this summer.  But one thing I’m betting on, Sammy Watkins goes no lower than the fourth round of all my fantasy drafts.  

I’ll go on the record: with the 12^th pick, the Giants take Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh.

I’ll Take Mine with a Schmear

Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell looked like a man going to turn his best friend in to

the police as he trudged, head down, to the umpires in the bottom of the second inning on Wednesday night.   Farrell was compelled to ask the umps to check Yankee pitcher Michael Pineda for illegal substances.  The umps got together and agreed to inspect Pineda.  They checked his mitt, his cap, his back (back???) and finally got to what everyone on national television saw – a huge schmear of pine tar on his neck!  

Pineda was done for the night (and subsequently, the next 10 games).  Yankee manager Joe Girardi walked out of the dugout to ask about the situation, as certain in his client’s guilt as a mob lawyer.  Girardi accepted Pineda’s fate and sauntered back to the dugout, hands in pockets, thinking about the need to hire someone to wipe this kid down before every inning the rest of the year.

Pitchers have been doctoring balls since Abner Doubleday threw out the first pitch in Hoboken.  The old motto, “if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying” has been woven into the fabric of baseball since its early “legal spitball” days.   However, the days where “cut fastball” had a literal meaning, have been phased out.  Performance enhancing drugs have painted all cheating with the same broad brush.  Gaylord Perry’s Vaseline ball and Whitey Ford’s sharpened belt buckle have gone the way of the sacrifice bunt.  

But when you think about it, what is “performance enhancing?”  Pine tar, batting gloves, and body armor that would make a Navy SEAL jealous are used by every hitter.  Fielding gloves the size of Jai Alai cestas are provided to every outfielder.  The only thing uniform left in the game is the size of the ball (and just the size – the consistency has been changed to “juice” or deaden the balls in any given year).  Hall of Famer and ESPN analyst Barry Larkin commented that the hitters wouldn’t mind the pitcher having a better grip so they can control it better.  Is there anything scarier that having someone not in control of a 95 mile per hour fastball from 60 feet away?  

I don’t advocate what Pineda did.  In my opinion, he should be suspended for his lack of subtlety or inability to conceal the pine tar.  Farrell, who skillfully dodged the issue two weeks ago, desperately did not want to go to the umps, but was compelled by the obvious schmear (nothing better would describe the inches long streak on Pineda’s neck).  Knowing that this now opened Red Sox pitchers up to inspection, Farrell was seeking any other solution.  He knows that this now opens his staff (purportedly heavy users of sticky stuff) to inspection, something Girardi has in his back pocket for a critical moment to come later in the year as revenge.

One easy solution for baseball in the spirit of the game (AL President Lee McPhail’s excuse

for allowing George Brett’s “pine tar” home run in 1983): pitchers should be allowed to use limited amounts of pine tar on cold nights.  If umpires have the discretion of allowing pitchers to put their hands to their mouth on cold days (a violation on normal days), then why not allow pine tar?  

It’s already on the field – go ask a batter.

Just Sayin”

Welcome to New York Martin St. Louis!  Now keep it up.

Umm, two weeks in and Phil Jackson and James Dolan are already like Jets and Sharks.  What a surprise!

So much for my “Ivan Nova as Cy Young Winner” prediction . . . 

Fantasy Football Update: My buddy, AC is trying to get me into another league- this one allows you to own two quarterbacks – this way I can take Tony Romo with a clear conscience.

I keep hoping against hope that some teams will trade up in the NFL draft to get some of these quarterbacks allowing the Giants to get a crack at better players. I wouldn’t bite on any of usual suspects.  Not with three SEC-tested success stories waiting in Rounds 2, 3 and 4.  Bold prediction: Aaron Murray, Zach Mettenberger and AJ McCarron will be the best QBs out of this draft.

Garden Dreams to Garden Nightmare?

The New York Knicks and New York Rangers have been sharing Madison Square Garden (and an owner) for most of their shared existence.   Growing up in the late 60's and 70's the Garden was the place to be.  Fans of the two teams experienced multiple seasons where both teams made deep playoff runs (despite visits from the circus), including two championships for the Knicks and two Stanley Cup finals appearances for the Rangers. 

After some down years, the teams' rebuilt and reached the pinnacle in 1994 as both teams

electrified the Garden, going to game sevens in the finals.  The Mark Messier-led Rangers won their first Cup since 1940; the Patrick Ewing-led Knicks dropped a heartbreaker series to Houston (thanks John Starks!).  Twenty years have passed since that glorious Spring, and we find the Rangers a consistent playoff team, with a solid mix of veterans, young stars, and bona fide hall of fame goalie.

The Knicks are a different story.

(Post Break: A quick history lesson: in 1987, Knicks GM Al Bianchi brought in Providence College's head coach Rick Pitino as the next "hot" coach.  In that same year, Phil Jackson took an assistant position with Doug Collins and the Bulls leaving the CBA's Albany Patroons having won two straight league titles and being designated the next "hot" pro coach.  Short term, Pitino takes Mark Jackson and Patrick Ewing to a division title, then cashes out and goes to Kentucky.  Jackson takes Michael Jordan and the Bulls to six titles, Kobe and Shaq to five more.  The Knicks?  Well, we still have James Dolan . . . )

The Knicks are now looking up to Raptors, Wizards, Hawks with no long term prospects and no first round draft pick.  They've mortgaged the future for a "superstar" (Hi Melo!) who has no ability to carry or lift a team - and has the option of leaving before the team finishes paying for him.  They've brought in Phil Jackson in the twilight of his career, as a president - not a coach - to try and resurrect the only team he ever wanted to coach.  With no viable draft picks on the horizon, the only option for Jackson is to blow up the roster and rebuild.  But will he have the patience to lose 60 games while the Garden patrons exercise their lungs booing or by apathetically refusing to show up (or even worse - going to Brooklyn to watch the Nets!)?  The organizational strategy is to have the Knicks attract potential free agents in 2015, but, in my opinion, if they don't start by bringing in young players they're doomed to just tread water.
 
By the way, the Garden itself will be the victim of a Penn Station renovation in less than 10 years, which means moving time for everyone is on the horizon.

Just Sayin'

OK Burger King, LeBron joins the "all time greats" and Johnny Manzeil and Alex Morgan are already there?  That's why I go to Wendy's or Chic-fil-a.

Anyone who had David Robertson lasting less than seven games - you win!

Rangers clinch second place in the division and fourth seed in the conference.  On to the first round of, what is by far, the best playoffs in sports - the quest for the Stanley Cup.

Fantasy Football Note: Jaguars defense added valuable parts and are sitting on the Clowney/Mack draft survivor - I think Gus Bradley will mold them into a top 10 D/ST in 2014.

With One Month of the Off Season Down, Reese Gets a "Thumb's Up"

Jerry Reese, the New York Football Giants General Manager, has been collecting cornerbacks like a dog collects fleas this off season.  Whether it be for depth (resigning Trumaine McBride) or quality (hello Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Walter Thurmond III), Reese has seen the light in the new NFL - when you need to defend 50 passes a game, you better have little guys who can cover.  The Giants have gotten younger and faster on defense over the past month, no longer hostage to depending on four defensive linemen to make it to the quarterback in less than three seconds.   

 

(Post break: I was all excited when DeSean Jackson was cut by Philly and thought there was a great chance that he could be out of the NFC East.  Needless to say, Reese looks clairvoyant now that D-Jax signed with the Skins.)

This d-back depth will provide better coverage (former number one CB Prince Amukamara will now be responsible for the number two receiver on almost every play) and more time for the linemen to find their target.  With Reese spending over $100 million Marabucks on free agents, Defensive Coordinator Perry Fewell should feel like a kid in a candy store with all the flexibility that he has (don't forget the linebacker changes - resigning of Jon Beason and addition of Jameel McClain).  Despite losing Linval Joseph and Justin Tuck, the 8th ranked Big Blue D should be back in style in 2014.    

 

Now about the offense . . .

Just sayin'

 

The Yanks lost the first two games of the season and had to rely on Ivan Nova to save them from a sweep.  Just the first win on the way to the Cy Young!
 

My alma mater, UAlbany was voted as the ugliest uniforms per NY Daily News (How can anything beat the late '70's Astros or any short -sleeve bball jersey?).

 

Ugh!  Kentucky crushed my bracket hopes by beating Michigan.  That's after they crushed my other bracket by beating Louisville.  Did I mention how much I hate Kentucky?

Bobby Parnell, Matt Harvey, half the Braves staff - are elbows conspiring to give the Nats the NL East?

I'm sure Mrs. Esiason appreciated that Boomer was not hanging when his kids were born.

Fantasy Football note:  Eric Decker stud to dud; Golden Tate will be, well, "golden".

Get well soon Chris Kreider and Ryan McDonough - you have two weeks before the real action starts!